


The Fish and the Lizard

by MiniDemons



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Dragon!Keith, Keith is lonely, M/M, Temporary Siren!Lance, but it's okay because Lance is lonely too, but won't admit it, can't English well!Keith, lance loves the sea, so they can be lonely together, stupid lizard!Keith, this is really just Keith and Lance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-20
Updated: 2017-07-09
Packaged: 2018-11-02 17:18:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10949136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiniDemons/pseuds/MiniDemons
Summary: Lance is injured, but not so injured and Keith is sorry because, maybe, he shouldn't have done that? But it's okay, Keith will fix this. He will, if he ever sees the sea  creature again. And-Well. It goes as well as one would think. What with stuffing an angry sea monster in a dinky little tub.Keith tried. He  really, really did.(Spoiler, Lance is not so appreciative of his  attempt)





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Writing mood, and reading way too much Klance to be healthy. I'm crap at finishing things though (given, I have bits and pieces of the entire thing written on a lot of pieces of paper so there is hope yet)
> 
> Not really proof read, I'll rewrite it so it flows better when I have my laptop.  
> But- enjoy this awkward little thing? It doesn't really have any epic kind of plot, just a dragonboy and fake siren living their lives.

Once upon a time, there was a boy who fell in love. A boy, who loved and was loved but never actually fell in love, thought it was impossible to ever actually fall in love. But one day he fell in love, with cold water and dark skies. With the smell of salt and rain. With the ever present essence of life.

He fell in love with the ocean. Got drunk off the feeling and would spend hours perched just at the edge of its grasp, mesmerized. It was an addiction, something that bubbled and called to him. Something he obsessed over. One day, he walked into the oceans chilly embrace.

He never returned.

-  
-  
-  
Dragons had a hatred for water. Nothing that made sense, because it really didn't make sense but this inane hatred, this fear that would crawl under their skin and pester them whenever it rained or when they were too close to waters edge. It was....

Stupid.

Something that wasn't appreciated, but something you learn to live with. Water was always cold, felt like death and made them heavy, slow. Something to be avoided, and usually easy to avoid outside of drinking out of small puddles. After all, if you can fly it isn't that hard to just skip over whatever water obstacle you meet, or hide in a cave when it's storming out.

If you can fly.

Keith, with his tiny dull crimson body and wings still locked under layers of skin and scale, could not fly. Usually it isn't a problem, usually mothers or fathers are there to care and nurture and teach little fledglings and help them. Or, if not a parent sometimes stray dragons come around and bond with a batch of hatchlings- not that Keith was a hatchling anymore.

So, it shouldn't be a problem. But it was, because the tiny little dragon with the scrappy tail and too thin limbs was in fact, alone. Defenseless, alone, and stranded on some thin strip of sand bar as the high tides came in to drown him. 

A small life, doomed to be snubbed out and drowned in the cold hug of the ocean. A story that will never be finished before being stamped with 'The End'.

Until, suddenly things weren't quite as bleak- however maybe that was being optimistic. Keith wasn't fully grown, a runt all things considered and a sickly one at that. Easy prey for the ocean creature that circled, surfacing to offer shrill chirps before pushing closer and Keith skittering back with a high hiss erupting from his throat.

Push and shove, push and shove. 

Like the ocean tides.

-  
-  
-

Does one ever understand the difficulty of dragging some overgrown lizard to shore so they don't drown? Lance wishes he didn't, and originally he didn't. Until he saw some lost little pup stalking up and down a tiny sand bar and giving these distressing noises and Lance is weak okay? He has (had) siblings, and those soft little whines just spoke to the big brother part of him.

His original plan was just to scare the lizard into the small strip of water that separated the sand bar from the shore. That plan backfired when the stupid lizard _went the wrong way_. Lance doesn't understand how, because there really is only two ways to go and he was on one of those ways but the second water touched the lizard's back foot as it stumbled backwards, well.

It decided to go the other way, Lance's way.

Lance found out that overgrown lizards sink like stones and seem to black out once their head goes under. So maybe, maybe it was a good thing the lizard went the wrong way because it'd have drowned if it went the right way. But at the same time-

Lance really could have gone his whole life without finding out the struggles that is dragging an overgrown lizard to shore. He would have happily passed that chance, pick a new card, anything. If he knew that he'd have to carry the heavy thing he would have just left the thing to drown (he wouldn't, could never. He'd do it all again in a heartbeat.)

So, here he was. Lurking in water too shallow and too hot with sand itching skin that normal doesn't touch sand and he's watching a slumbering lizard that's half on shore, half in water. Alive, way too warm, but alive since its chest moved up and down, alive and asleep and Lance was debating on staying and scolding or leaving and forgetting.

He stayed.

If only because the giant lizard owed him a thanks for saving it's overgrown hide. 

He stayed, and it was uncomfortable and warm he wished for cooler everything. So he'd dart off to deeper waters, slightly colder before going close to shore again to wait. And wait, and wait some more until finally- _finally_ -

It's eyes flickered open, this odd grumble vibrating through it's body and water. Lance was quick to act, crawling close, so impossibly close to heat that's unnatural and-

"You. You are stupid. A really stupid lizard. If you can't, can't deal with water why come so close? Do you know what I had to suffer through for you? Thought sharks were heavy, you- you are just. Fat. Fat, stupid lizard who the ocean hates. Stupid. Why would you? So stupid." The words bubbled up in angry chirps, tail flashing through the water as he jabbed a sharp finger in the lizards direction.

The reaction was instant, the bubbling hiss, the flurry limbs as it scrambled out of the water, scrambled away- away. The eyes flashing purple and black, sharp teeth bared wide and whole posture screaming threat and scared. 

Lance huffed, message clearly didn't come across that he was the one who dragged the scaled beast to shore. Saved it from indisputable death. The lizard's savior so to speak, and the stupid beast didn't even realize. Figures. Land creatures were always stupid, so stupid (he used to be that way too, so stupid.)

Finned ears flared, spreading wide and cupping the sides of his face with startlingly blue as he hissed back. A, don't mess with me sign. Universal sign for 'I can mess you up too' with the large, fanned out bright fins encasing a face of glowing eyes and so many sharp teeth. Carnivore teeth, something that could put even sharks to shame.

The lizard snarled this nasty sound, creeping away with it's tail ducked low to the ground. And then it was gone, in some limping mess of a run it was gone. No thanks, no nothing. Just gone.

Lance figured it would be the last he sees of the stupid lizard.  
-  
-  
-  
Once upon a time, there was a boy with a heart so big and warm. Someone who wished and wanted to love and be loved that, that was all he could do. He loved with all his might. His one and only sibling, loved until they died. His parents, loved until they stopped showing up at the nest. The older one who took care of him afterwards-

He loved until that one too, vanished without a trace. And that once big, warm heart sat crippled and withered. Something useless that mocked once was.

Something that made him flinch at the sounds of noises, of the presence of others. Had him furious and angry when he couldn't run away far enough.

And then he met the boy who was in love with the ocean.  
-  
-  
-  
Keith was starved, starved and broken and his back itched and hurt and was streaming blood. Still a welp, flightless and defenseless but bigger now. Bigger than he was with his first encounter with the ocean. First and last, he avoided the sandy shores like a plague, kept them a good distance away. Kept the sea monster with the brilliant blues and greys and browns far, far away.

He was older, not such a scrappy little thing and his wings were rustling under a thin layer of protection. Flight, freedom so close he could taste it.

He dawdled with magic too, barely any actual experimentation but he could change form- barely. Enough to get by, to be small and hide or large and threatening. It was more a trial and error and he could never master other tongues, kept too far away to learn. But, he was broken because of an error, miscalculation. Not enough though.

Humans don't take nicely to his kind, even when hidden apparently. Not that he didn't know that already. He just-

He thought-

Maybe he could find someone. Blamed the humans for their vanishment (or himself, maybe they vanished because of him?) but he couldn't hide enough. Not well enough. Too much scale, too much tail, teeth too pointy, eyes too unnatural. Too much everything. 

Humans fought with fire, Keith never thought he'd fear fire until fire tipped spears were pointed at him with a strange tongue yelled at him. Magicked human flesh is weak to fire, the bits that weren't covered with dull dragon scale turned a dark red, black and burnt smelling.

It transferred over later, a painful ebb. Unnatural and something that made him want to hide away. Dragons, no matter the age, do not burn.

He did though.

Starved little dragon he was, found himself by the sandy shores. Reason unknown, but unable to leave. A wish for freedom maybe? A wish for flight? Maybe even a wish for an escape.

Escape how, he doesn't know but he still stared, and stared.

Until brown and blue and grey consumed his vision, a creature darting out and beaching itself. Huge blue eyes glowing, dark on the edges and almost white in the middle, an ocean with it's own currents and waves. Tan skin, soft with hard scales scattered about like freckles, ears folded but still so blue, sticking up into the sky on either side of the creatures head which was encased by dark hair, curling and fighting amongst itself.

It chirped, an angry little chirp and those teeth, thin and jagged and so many- they flashed. Screamed predator. Screamed threat and had Keith scrambling back on instinct, mouth curled in a snarl and a growl bubbling up his throat. The growl tasted like smoke, hot to the touch. Alive-

Keith was too young, too broken, for fire though, the most that would happen is smoke curling from his nostrils.

The creature's ears flared open, a hiss escaping and it jerked back, tail swinging around in the wet sand. A glorious blue and grey, sharp fins and spines sticking out each way.

Then-

Nothing, the creature stared at Keith, broken, bleeding Keith and its ears folded in again. Mouth softened and the hiss came to a startled stop and it gave another chirp. A soft chirp this time, a song almost that hummed through the air and then-

It was gone, turned around in a bundle of beautiful scales and fins and colors and vanished out into the ocean. Keith watched from his defensive crouch, teeth bared still and that growl come to a withering halt as he was alone, yet again.

-  
-  
-  
Burnt lizard, it's a smell that carries for miles and is absolutely foul. Smells wrong, unnatural like a drowned siren. It's what drew him in initially, first thought on his mind being an easy meal but no.

Still alive, and it was the stupid lizard. The one he had to drag to the shore eons ago. Older, not such a pathetic sight build wise though it still looked so damn skinny. Starved. 

And it was just as stupid as it was before, which doesn't explain why Lance was doing this.

This being carrying fresh fish to the shoreline and dropping it just far enough so the sea couldn't take it back. When Lance reappeared the burnt lizard seemed rather shocked, a noise escaping but past that nothing else outside of wide eyes and a twitching tail. Then, Lance was gone again to find another fish to deposit.

Then there was a pile of fish, beached and burning in the sun. Lance originally stayed close by in the too warm water but the dragon just gave low grumbles and bared teeth so Lance darted further away. Close enough to watch, but far enough not to scream threat to the stupid lizard.

It took awhile, but eventually the lizard crept closer with its body low to the ground and neck out stretched as it sniffed. A curl of the nose at the fish stench but it still, albeit reluctantly, snatched one of the corpses up and dragged it further away from the seas reach.

Lance just kept watching, a strange awe as the overgrown lizard pawed and sniffed and nudged the fish before taking a hesitant bite. And then, just as suddenly the fish was gone and it was creeping forward to the second one, and this, this Lance took as a good thing. So he moved closer, but the second he came close the burnt lizard lurched back with a growl and if that wasn't a warning Lance wasn't sure what was.

'Come closer and I'll eat you' the bloodied canines seemed to say, tail lashing through the air.

"I fed you, you stupid lizard. The fish you were just eating? I got it. I got it and gave to you. Stupid lizard. You should be grateful!" The words were hissed out, an angry clicking noise following as he moved even closer to the shore to the lizard cowering in the sand. 

Apparently he never learned not to corner a scared animal. Given the lizard wasn't really cornered but Lance was fast sliding out of the water to give aggressive chirps and clicks because the lizard was stupid.

Stupid and violent, and it lashed out just as quickly, darting forward with pointy teeth that dig into vulnerable skin and Lance screams. Screams and thrashes and he hits wet sand with a thud, quick to wriggle back into the ocean and vanish.

Blood followed him the entire way into the abyss.

-  
-  
-  
Regret, is an odd taste. Sour and heavy, and it lingers. It's always in the back of the mouth, just there- ready to consume on a moments notice. It has the distinct flavor of iron, of blood Keith noted in disdain as he watched the ocean.

It was, not an accident but an instinct. Teeth and fins fanning the creatures face with those angry, aggressive noises streaming from its throat. It screamed danger, and then it moved closer and his starved, broken body just moved.

No thought.

Nothing. Just....

Instinct.

And then the creature was gone with this horrific scream and just-

So, so much blood. Everywhere, in his mouth, in the water, on the sand, on his scales. A wretched smell unlike the corpses the creature brought to the shore and-

Regret.

He stayed, he waited. For what, he wasn't exactly sure. The taste to go away? The creature to return? The ocean to reenact it's wrath on him? He didn't know. He just waited, water touching his front paws, sand uncomfortably damp on his soft under side.

He just,

He waited.

Starved and broken and bleeding and he waited for who knows how long.

The creature never returned.  
-  
-  
-  
Trial and error eventually gave way to constant success. He could blend in thoughtlessly now, no one would know a thing. Soft pale skin instead of rough dark scales, short stubby fingernails instead of deadly claws, dull teeth instead of the jagged terrors that used to reside in his mouth.

Keith could look completely human now. Even caught on, on some of the language. Not much, but enough to get by. And sure, he was a bit rough on the wording and phrases and his voice was more of a strangled growl than a humans normal drawl but.

He could do it. He could blend in, no longer in danger of being hunted down and treated as some sort of war trophy.

He got his wings too, not long after the sea creature incident. They sprouted and they hurt, but in a good way. A good hurt, an ache to move and fly and-

He was free. Finally, he was free.

And then he wasn't, the sky to high for fragile wings to reach but-

It didn't matter.

He had a shack by the ocean, something small and unnoticeable. Big enough to house a dragon but small enough where it'd be cramped if he did go natural in the house. And he couldn't resist the temptation to be close to the horrible frigid death trap that was the ocean. 

To be honest, he was hoping he'd see the creature again, make sure it was still alive.

Regret was still a sour taste in his mouth. Hatred was the newer bitter one that takes over though. Because, he did something horrible. Absolutely horrible. Just because he didn't think, just because he just... reacted. 

A mistake.

He never actually expected to see the creature again though. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he'd see it again.

And then suddenly, in the middle of a rainstorm when he's darting home because water is still evil, and horrible, and cold, he sees it.

A limp body on the shore line, tinted blue and brown.


	2. The Worst Idea Ever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, added an extra chapter because I'll just split this part in two because this is more of a half way point?
> 
> Woulda been finished sooner but nope, I had to have a fat finger a delete the entire file instead of the blank note I was intending on deleting :( byebye 7k words haha. So I wrote something else and then came back to this and instead of rewriting how I originally planned the chapter to go (which was Lance's POV then Keith) the POVs got flipped
> 
> (There's a reason I like writing vague things with little dialogue and a lot of time skips. Holy crap this thing is prolly really awkward and not all smooth and flowy like. I'll try to fix that later)

So.

Keith really didn't this through. Well- he did, but he didn't at the same time. Because there is an unconscious siren in his bathtub. An unconscious probably dangerous and feral and undeniably predator. 

In his bathtub. 

That wasn't exactly his, as he never used it and didn't technically own the shack it was in but-

Yeah. 

Siren.

In the bathtub.

He put a siren, a really fucking _long_ siren in a bathtub. Or, half in a bathtub. As much as he could fit in the dinky, rusty bathtub really. The siren was folded over, thrice and the fins- So, annoying. Why would a creature need that much thin excesses skin anyways? The fins were everywhere and they were sharp and pointy and easily slid through soft human flesh.

Sirens lived in water, like fish so he figured the creature had to have gills like fish right? Not that he could find any but heck if he knows how they'd look on some fish human hybird monster. He tried his best with what he had, shoving as much of the siren's upper body underwater as he could. It wasn't much, but it covered the chest and the face and that's the place Keith figured would most likely have gills so it works.

Everything else though? He didn't know how to deal with. Tried to get as much in the water as he could because, what happened if the siren dried out? What if it died over something as stupid as not enough water?

And that, that is where he realizes he didn't exactly think this whole thing through.

He was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he had a siren, a siren of all things! in his bathtub.

His bathtub.

Still can't believe it, believe anything. Grasp that yes, he did see the sea creature, that it's even alive. Even if barely. The siren was half dead when he found it sprawled across wet sand, still half in the oceans depths. Half dead and everything about it smelled of pain and ill and hurt.

He reacted on instinct, the only thing making him act was the pure need to get the siren to safety. Safety, being home. Away from the icy trap of ocean waters and, yes. By now he's realized that was more than stupid because he just took the siren away from its home.

And put it in a bathtub.

He still couldn't- he put a siren. One of those fearsome monsters of the ocean's abyss that can drown any dragon that comes too close to the waters surface and- he put it in a bathtub.

A siren. In a bathtub.

He thinks, maybe he should return it? But that just, rubs him wrong. Screams at him, blares red warning signs and he can't bring himself to actually seriously consider it. All he can think of is, how does one treat an injured, possibly sick, fish? Are they like dragons? Is heat good for them? Do they need water like he needs fire when he's sick?

Maybe, maybe he could just... keep the creature. Until it's better. As payback, for the kindness and the rash reaction and maybe he'll stop swimming in guilt and- yeah. Keeping the siren (in a bathtub) seemed like.... a decent idea? Not the worst idea at least, and better than returning it to the ocean.

He feared the creature would die if he did that and, he can't let it die. Not yet at least.

So. Keeping it, for now. That's the plan that really isn't a plan because he doesn't even know what the creature eats. Does it only eat humans? Keith wasn't going to start killing humans. But would it starve if it went too long without eating? Was it starving now? Could it eat fish? Or did that count as cannibalism and-

Shit. 

Keith was probably going to kill the siren. This was such a bad idea, such a horribly bad idea. But the creature probably had a better chance with him than in the ocean with the other monsters. His home was safe, not dangerous. Nothing would harm them here so if he could just, just figure out how to care for an overgrown fish than they'd be good. Probably.

Maybe.

Okay, he wasn't expecting things to go good. He was wary and something crawled under his scales so honestly? He was expecting things to go downhill. Probably as soon as the sea monster regained consciousness.

Because- Siren. In a bathtub.

Lethal danger that he is pretty sure tried to, or at least thought of eating him before. In his bathtub.

In his safety zone. Where he should be safe and that, maybe once he started thinking about it, rubbed him the wrong way. Dangers should not be in safety, they should be kept far away. But he brought the danger, so it's okay. Well, it isn't. But that's okay too.

He dug this hole, he saved the siren and he's going to keep the stupid thing alive if it is the last thing he does.

Even if it is in his bathtub.

He still couldn't even properly process, his brain just halting everything to stare at those words because- Siren. In a bathtub. That's not- it should be siren in the ocean. Not siren in a bathtub, and he knows he put the creature in there, but the only reason it was in a bathtub was because the tub was bigger than the bucket and he didn't want to suffocate the creature.

Which, brought up another thing. How long can it live above water? Did he give it brain damage when he was moving the siren from the shore to his shack to the small closet of a room that had a broken bathtub in it? He hoped he didn't and-

Okay, so not the best idea and probably somewhere around the worst idea and he should really stop thinking by now. Thinking is just making this seem worse and worse and, he'll just.

Get fish.

Or something. Try to feed the siren. Fishing isn't too hard after all, even if it is uncomfortably close (in) the water. And he'll, make a leap. Offer fish up on a silver platter and hope it doesn't count as cannibalism. Fish eat other fish though right? So it should be okay? Plus the siren practically killed fish for him to eat so....?

Why did he think this was a good idea again?

Fishing goes.... horribly. Like, how do things even live off of fish? Given, maybe it'd help if he strayed further from the raggedy dock jutting off the shoreline or the few feet of ocean water coming inland but- he's a dragon. He doesn't even like water and his scales are gross and crusty with salt and-

He's a dragon. A dragon in the sea is like a siren on land (in a bathtub. In his bathtub). The water is too cold at the touch and makes his small form be ruined with harsh sudden shivers. Wings did even worse in the water, something about the thin membrane and frosty waters that lead to a fragility that was too easy to tear.

So, fishing went horribly. Something he wasn't exactly willing to repeat. But! He did catch something. He wasn't a complete failure and did manage to find, and catch, one measly little fish.

No, he didn't really feel accomplished about it. In fact, the entire event had the distinct flavor of failing to it, but it was better than nothing. At least he now had some sort of food to offer to the most likely sour siren. Maybe that will help soothe thing over? Things like kidnapping and stuffing the creature in a bathtub.

Because, he still had a siren. In his bathtub. He even put the thing there and,

Shit, this was going to be a train wreck. He had a predator in his safe house. It was okay now but when the siren was actually conscious? He'd be a threat, a dangerous thing where Keith should be safe and sound and- why did he even do this?

Because he bit it, possibly the cause for its half dead state. Because the creature didn't deserve that and Keith was guilty, so very guilty. 

He frowned at the fish, all innocent looking flopped on one of his plates, and with a finger poked it. Gross, slimy- like the one and only time he ate fish. Lips curled and that's when he heard it.

Soft thumps, chittering complaints and, apparently the siren was awake. Keith wasn't ready. Would probably never he ready to deal with the carnivorous creature. Deep breathe in, make sure to look exactly like a human- humans were weak and small, less threatening than a dragon would be he assumed. Grab the fish and, well. Time to face the music.

The siren screamed at him the second the door was open, screamed and gave sputtered clicks that just echoed threatening and 'you will pay'. Keith simply closed the door, watching scales ripple across his forearm. Expected, but not at the same time. The vicious chirping made him want to get away, away and hide in some safe house.

This was his safe house.

Deep breathe in, he's a dragon. The creature is simply a siren (in a bathtub). He has the upper ground, the advantage. He can kill the siren before it kills him, even if he doesn't really want to kill the thing. He put it in the bathtub for a reason after all.

Breathe, watch the scales fade back into paper thin human flesh and he opened the door again.

He half expected the siren to be there, on the other side of the door with the sharp claws and thin teeth ready to maul him. It was a stupid expectation, he's on land so it isn't like the siren had free range of motion, it was stuck in a bathtub. And, the siren still was in that bathtub with a snarl showing off its teeth, nose curled and bright blue framing its face.

A soft hissing noise was escaping it, ocean eyes narrowed into a glare. A growl rumbled in Keith's chest in response and he was quick to choke it out. Growling at the siren wasn't going to help any, if anything it would make it worse. Treat the siren like a dragon, a fish dragon. Dragons don't like threats, growling is a threat. The creature probably felt threatened enough, would be like Keith out in the ocean and he already knows how he reacted when he was _by_ the ocean.

He moved forward, cautious steps and lifting up the plate with his pathetic prize, "Food." The human tongue twisted awkwardly, and he wasn't even sure if it would work. Did sirens know the human tongue? He knew the creature wouldn't know his own tongue so human was the only thing he had left to communicate with.

The siren stopped hissing, fins fluttering and it cocked its head to the side. It pushed itself, water sloshing out of the tub as the siren leaned over and, for a second, Keith thought this might work. Then, "You kidnapped me! What the hell is wrong with you?" The creature jerked back with a harsh click, tail thrashing as it maneuvered before it hissed out, "Are you planning to eat me? I'm not food and I will not get eaten by some smelly human witch!"

Keith is left, opening and closing his mouth at the rapid fire human tongue. Only able to catch a few of the words and trying to string them together to something, anything that makes sense. Maybe he should have put more effort into learning the tongue, though how was he supposed to know he'd use it for more than easy food and inquires on a missing dragon. Finally he decides to just ignore the siren, move forward with the fish and grouch out another, "Food."

The siren... does not take kindly to that. Any of it. It tries to shove itself further away the fins are back out with their blaring colors and the blood curling hissing is back again. "Another step magic boy, and I'll disembowel you." And Keith could feel his control lessen, nerves screaming danger and scales flashed out to protect himself from any attack and then-

Fear has this smell. Any predator would be able to tell it apart from any other smell, any other emotion. Fear is this dark, heavy smell. It taunts in the worst way, curls the stomach and if the predator is hungry? It is the most tantalizing smell you will ever encounter. Now though? Now it was just sour, reminded Keith of guilt and regret and he wanted away. Away from the smell of fear, from the hissing that took this turn from dangerous to scared and defensive.

Creatures, far and wide have the similar base responses to everything after all. You can always tell a defensive hiss or growl from one that's saying 'I'll eat you. My food.'. Everything about the siren seemed to shrink, squirming to press itself against the furthest edge of the tub. Cornering, making it so everything is easier to defend but at the same time, giving itself less places to run. Not that the siren could run anyways.

After all, Keith put the creature in a tub and god, if that didn't turn his stomach he wouldn't know what would. Keith moved forward slightly, arm flashing out and dumping the fish into the murky water before leaving. Running away from the smell, but he'd have to leave his home to truthfully escape the awful stench of fear.

So he threw the fish at the bathtub, turned before he even heard the plop as it fell through water and-

He left. Hightailed it out of there and the only thing that would point to him having ever been in the room was the slam the door gave. Left and abandoned the smell, tried his hardest not to smell it anymore because-

This was the worst idea. He all but kidnapped some creature and put it in a cage two sizes too small. Planned on keeping it prisoner and-

He didn't even know what it ate. Didn't know if he could drag the siren back to the ocean and keep it alive at the same time. It was probably weaker than it was when he brought it to his home, and then there was still the whole reason he brought the siren into his own safety zone. The siren was injured and possibly ill and- he caused it. Or at least, caused the festering wound on the siren's arm.

It was his fault.

Distantly he could hear a sharp shriek, then the jumble of human words, "Did you just throw a fish at me?! Oh my god, you threw a fish at me!" What followed next snapped Keith out of whatever thoughts he had, head snapping to stare at the closet door at the sick slap against the door and then a soft thud as whatever it was (he had a feeling it was the fish) fell onto the floor. Harsh chirping followed, the siren not even attempting to stick to the human tongue.

Faintly Keith wondered if he ended up offending the creature after all. Maybe fish were a no go after all? Which made his whole fishing expedition useless, and okay he wasn't good at it anyways but he didn't really want to hunt humans to keep the siren alive.

And, his stomach turned because he planned on keeping. Planned on keeping it caged and away from the death trap it called home and no matter what he told himself, he couldn't twist into a good thing. This. Was a horrible, wretched idea. He should have never done it but the icy claws of fear dug into him at the mere thought of returning the creature.

Not now. When it is stronger. When it doesn't smell of hurt and ill and _fear_. He put the fear there though. Put the fear and the hurt there and, how could he possibly make it better? What if, whilst he was waiting, it died? He didn't know anything about sirens, all he knew were of old tales that the elder dragons told and the two times he saw the creature. Once where the creature was hunting him and the other with him half out of his mind with hunger.

He chewed on his finger, teeth sharp and grating on crimson scales. He should just, stop. It is done, he's already done it. There are no take backs, no rewinding time. He's already kidnapped the creature, he just- has to make sure it doesn't die. Make sure he returns it home and then, all good? They'll both forget about it, hopefully both alive and-

Yeah. He just, needs to focus on that. Not the fact that this was stupid, and horrible, and cruel. Down right cruel. Think of the end game. His finger twisted, sharp clicking against his teeth before he gave a sigh, bringing himself in, soft breakable flesh taking over the scale and-

He can do this. It is just one siren. Treat it like another dragon. Just, one that likes water. He can do this. Surely the two weren't too different? It just, is a dragon. That needs water. And can't breathe air. That eats people and dragons but apparently not fish. That has a different tongue than he, but hey- it understood the human tongue so that works? He just, needs to treat it like a weird dragon. A really,

Weird

Dragon.

So, what is the first step of taking care of a dragon? To be honest, Keith didn't even know. He's young, it's normal. Plus not like he really had stunning examples to follow since his life has been filled with suspicious disappearance after suspicious disappearance. He'd just have to treat the siren as if it was him, like how he'd want to be treated.

That lead to an arm full of blankets and pillows (because comfort and warmth was important for safety, and no he's not going to even touch the idea that the siren was confined underwater in a tiny bathtub. He will just think about it later.) and reaching up to get the wraps and some of the wound cleaning things he got from some visit to the human village. He wasn't exactly sure what they did but the human said they were essential for wounds so-

Keith got it. He can figure out how to use it later (and maybe how to even pronounce it because the name seemed to be horribly long.).

And that, that was all ruined with a a muffled thump followed by many thumps and harsh chirping. Keith abandoned all previous plans and goals, hugging the supplies he already collected to his body as he darted to the closet as every worry came to the front of his mind. Was the siren dying? What if it got hurt? What if the tub broke? Because he wasn't sure what the tub could handle and that siren was _a lot_. He stood, chest heaving and eyes wide as he started at the siren, half sprawled out on the floor and tail a wriggling mess.

Maybe, maybe the tub wasn't big enough after all. Though he wasn't sure how the creature managed to fall out, it should be high enough to keep it in? And okay, he never thought that the tub was big enough but he also never thought that the creature would _fall out_. He... wasn't too sure how to handle this.

Wasn't exactly eager to get closer though, he remembered the sharp claws on the webbed fingers, the thin, needle sharp teeth and the way the creature's fins slid through flesh so easily. Sure, scales would offer more protection but on a human form they would still be too delicate for him to want to risk against the siren's aggressiveness.

Maybe he should wait for it to pass out again?

The creature was staring at him, ocean eyes wide and the white pupil consuming the blue surroundings, leaving frosty waters in its wake. Mouth opening and closing before releasing a wave of chittering chirps and hisses then, after realizing Keith was just going to keep staring, it swapped over to break neck fast human. Keith is pretty sure he heard the words hurt, and eat, and food but he isn't really sure.

The siren paused in its human tongue ramble, squinting frosty eyes and shaking its ear fins slightly. Friendlier than downright hissing and spreading everything wide to seem bigger, so Keith figured they were on a better foot now. Less likely for the creature to strike out and try to maim him at least, so he might as well try to care for the creature now instead of waiting for it to suffocate. Frequent suffocation would probably damage the siren, and Keith has damaged it too much already.

Keith moved forward, human tongue bubbling out of his throat, "I am help you. Heal?" Just as the siren released a hiss, twisting to press its left side (injured side, Keith knows that move-) to the tub and keeping Keith in sight. The dragon instantly stopped, the threat boiling his blood because- being threatened in your home. In your safe zone. That was the best way to get an animal defensive and aggressive.

Screams at him that something isn't right. You aren't supposed to get threatened in the one place you are home and he itches to eliminate it. To make home safe again and he has to swallow down the urge because he did it. Keith was the one who brought the threat in and it wasn't really a threat. It was an injured creature, one he injured after it helped him. Though, at the same time it really was a threat. Keith didn't have a doubt in his mind that the siren would be more than willing to bleed him dry.

But then it'd die. So the creature really shouldn't. But does the creature realize that? Most likely not. He didn't think sirens ever had to deal with being trapped on land before.

He gave a huff, halting before raising the things in his arms, a blanket lazily unfolding itself and reaching for the ground and a pillow that was a bit too fluffy with a package of wraps and bandages and a dark brown bottle thrown on top. The bottle was haphazardly hanging on by the edge but Keith was sure if it fell he'd be able to catch it. "Help. For wound. Not eat." The words were growled out, though he was able to stop an actual growl from escaping him. Threatening a cornered creature was a one way ticket to getting hurt after all.

The siren's nose curled at him, teeth bared and frightful and as thankful Keith was that it didn't hiss at him (instincts already on the edge and pulling him down into the abyss of threat and danger and aggressive) the snapped words weren't much better, "Your English sucks. Wow, I think I lost brain cells listening to that. Aren't your kind supposed to be smart? And ha, like I am going to fall for that. You sneaky snake bastards need to get more creative-" Keith snarled, he might not be the most proficient at human and a few words that the siren spat out might have gone over his head but he wasn't stupid. Anyone would be able to read the tone, the anger and disdain- spilling pure hostility from the siren's mouth and, nope.

Keith does not have to listen to that.

"Do you ever shut up." The noise that escaped the siren at those words was down right unnatural. Keith didn't think it could ever be replicated, because how even? It left his ears ringing and mind floating away until everything seemed to just snap back to reality as-

"Excuse you? You are holding me hostage, most likely planning to dine, or at least try to dine on _siren_ , and you are complaining about my talking of all things? Why even bother learning the language if you can't appreciate other people speaking it! By the way, any eating or storing plans you had you should- what the fuck are you doing!" 

Keith had moved forward, deciding to just tune out the creatures senseless babble and act while it was distracted. Not that it was distracted for long, Keith was just a foot or so away and had just dropped everything in his arms when the siren realized that Keith was not staying put and was actually moving closer. The sea monster jolted, a solid thump as it banged against the tub and arms scrambling to push it further away as bright blue fins flared out everywhere.

"No! Get away from me you demented snake! Stay away from me!" The words were hissed out, sharper in pitch than any other time the siren spoke and that fear smell stung the air. Sharp and heavy and with underlying danger and predator as the siren flashed its sharp teeth again and Keith was flinching back. Took everything in him to stay in the small confined space with the rolling ball of defensive and cornered personified in his bath tub.

Or out of his bathtub.

And shit, siren's are fish- not dragons. They can't breathe air and the creature was _out of the water still_. Its tan face was turning a tint of blue, little specks of white scales becoming more visible and its chest was heaving with eyes wide and frosty, not even a hint of the previous dark ocean waters in the frozen lakes as it watched Keith like a prey hunted. 

It can't even breathe.

What if it doesn't pass out? What if the sea monster is going off of so much adrenaline and fear that it can't? He'd be killing the poor creature and, and-

He didn't bring the siren so it would die in his tub. That wasn't supposed to happen.

Isn't going to happen.

He moves, more scale than flesh on his body because- scales do better. Are tougher and the siren looked ready to make him bleed if it got the chance but he can't let the sea creature die. Not when he brought it in to help it.

He tries to move quickly, can feel his blood boil as every instinct in him screeches at him to not go towards the terrified, dying, panicking creature. Maybe, he thinks, if he moves fast enough, maybe it won't hurt because he can see those fingers twitching and the hissing is taking a sharp turn of high pitched and blaring and-

He heaves the siren up, up and claws are dragged down, down.

Feels the splitting of scale and flesh and the burn of wounds and,

The heavy stench of iron fills the air and,

There's a growl erupting from his throat, more or a painful roar- a stop you are hurting me kind of thing and,

He feels his claws dig into cold clammy flesh, too deep but he can't find it in him to care as he shoves,

He's on his back mere moments later, air knocked out of him and long paper cuts stripped across from his chest from the weight of a flailing tail hitting him full force.

Bright side? The siren isn't suffocating anymore. He's not too sure if that is a bright side though because he hurts and can't get a full breathe and everything just aches. Human forms are always so much more fragile than dragons, easier to break and tear apart. There is sputtering on the side, the siren wriggling up out of the water and coughing as it gave soft jagged chirps at Keith.

The stench is still in the air, part dragon blood, hot and steamy and heavy with iron, and part of it the rotten smell of fish blood. It takes a moment before Keith realizes that there is blood on his hands, not his blood too, and even a blue scale or two dotting his crimson hands.

He wants to laugh, just at the fact that he ended up hurting the siren even when he didn't want to but he can't suck in enough air for that, chest complaining at the mere attempt and,

This was the worst idea he has ever had. He's going to end up killing the creature, he just knows it. He should just, return it. Surely it would do better in the ocean because he can't seem to not hurt the thing and,

He just hurts. Hurts and wants to crawl away to lick his wounds and be safe again because right now? Now he isn't safe with the siren looming in the bathtub watching with careful eyes and staying surprisingly silent. He wants to cocoon himself in blankets and pillows and pretend that the world is just some bad dream.

That he'll wake up and everything would be okay again and there wouldn't be a siren in his bathtub.

A siren that he put in his bathtub.

That he took from its home because he was _stupid_ and thought he could actually help the thing and it is probably traumatized and he hurt it yet again and,

Fuck. 

This was his worst idea ever.  
-  
-  
-  
Lance hurts and is dry and everything is cracking and,

He wants to go home. Go back and be away from the weird naga that's too warm (hot, boiling, the touch of the naga's hand burned) to be natural and was keeping him prisoner in a bathtub of all things. That, he was still questioning but who knows what goes through naga's minds? For all he knows siren tastes better fresh and the man wasn't hungry yet.

Not that Lance meant to be eaten. Nope, he had lived too damn long to be eaten by some mutant naga. And the guy had to be a mutant, he's never heard of a naga being warm (cold blooded reptiles anyone?) and having red scales. Nagas were more of the green or blue variety, maybe black or grey but never the flashy crimson that was his captor. So yeah, his captor had to be a mutant or a crossbreed. And just, a really weird naga over all.

After all, why the hell would a naga magic up some legs for themselves? Legs had to make them slower in the water. Maybe that's why he was in a bathtub, an easy meal since the naga surely couldn't catch any kind of sea creature as a human. 

He stared at the snake, sprawled out on the rotting floor (he itched just thinking of the fact that he was touching that floor-) and bleeding. Lance wasn't even sure if his captor was breathing, chest never even moving and, should he feel bad if he killed his captor? He doesn't think he should but to be honest the naga seemed to be offering a grumpy, awkward kind of friendliness than anything. He glanced over at the pile of, fluff really, that the naga brought with him.

He was still questioning that. Was it some kind of weird eating ritual? Sure felt like that was where everything was going when he stalked over to Lance, picked him up and-

Well Lance was back in the tub that he accidentally fell out of. Still too warm and the water was still murky and stale and warmer than he'd ever like but even that kind of water felt better than the hot air of the room. He wasn't sure if it was an accident, if the naga meant to drag him somewhere else but he was in the tub and the naga was on the floor open and bleeding.

Speaking of the naga, he was alive. His captor gave a groan before twisting and then something magical happened. Bones cracked, soft human flesh vanishing, something whipped through the air, wings suddenly took up most of the closet and the thin membrane was too close for comfort and-

Naga boy was decidedly not human anymore. And apparently not a naga either.

No, he was pretty sure the four legged creature that was twisting around and showing sharp canines as it snatched up the blanket that was in the pile of fluff was in fact, a dragon. That made a lot of things make sense, like the boiling and the red and the smell. Also made a lot of things not make sense because last Lance knew, dragons lived in the desert.

Not by the ocean.

And something about the dragon, with the dark scales and small body and thin, long tail seemed familiar. Lance couldn't name it, he's only seen one dragon before and that dragon was dead and half eaten. This one was very much alive with bright yellow eyes and scraggly limbs as it folded itself in a crouching position right in the middle of the door way. Wings small and flat against a bony back, blanket a mess that covered its (his) front paws and a never ending grumble echoing through its (his) throat and-

Eyes flashed a purple and he's back with the stupid lizard that was dying and _bit_ him.

Shit.

Lance couldn't help it, whole body spasming as he pushed himself as far away as possible, his back hitting the edge of the bathtub and for a second he thought he'd end up cascading backwards and out of the tub as he screeched out, "Oh my god! You're the stupid lizard! Holy shit, what didn't get a big enough chunk last time? Oh my god a stupid lizard is going to try to eat me."

The naga, dragon, lizard snapped his jaws at the siren, jagged teeth glinting in the dim room and Lance can so easily imagine them sliding through flesh. Reaches over to touch the scar that isn't really a scar because it still burns and is hot to the touch- he doesn't even have to imagine how those teeth feel slicing through flesh. He's already felt it though he is pretty sure they got bigger.

My what big teeth you have grandma, the words softly hum in the back of his mind and he can hear the reply just as softly- 'The better to eat you with.' He doesn't argue because he is pretty sure that is an accurate description for everything.

The dragon lays back down, flat and eyes glaring holes into Lance's head. Just over the body hump of the beast's back Lance can see the tail flickering back and forth. Distantly, he wonders if the body language is more akin to a cats- the tail swinging giving away to irritation- or more like a dogs, wagging in joy and excitement.

He hopes for the former just as much as he fears the latter. 

Lance opened his mouth, falling more into the stale warm body and sinking in as deep as possibly so only his eyes and finned ears could be seen above the lip of the tub. His tail wriggled and then stopped because- ow. He could hear the cracking, the scales protesting and dry to the bone and he's pretty sure the webbing on his fins were going to start deteriorating if they had to stay dry any longer.

The dragon made a noise, different from the grumbles and more of a soft hum. It crawled forward, underbelly hugging the floor and Lance can see it. This is how he is going to die. Stuck in a bathtub and eaten by an overgrown lizard with big purple eyes that are sometimes gold and sometimes a stale blue. Not how he ever imagined dying, and definitely one of the most pathetic ways.

And-

He doesn't die. No. the dragon stretches forward, eyeing Lance before snatching the pillow and-

He's gone. With the blanket and pillow and Lance is just a little dumbfounded. He stares at the door, clear sight into the big empty room and the dragon is no where in sight. Lance is officially all alone in a bathroom that just has a tub and,

And a fish. Right behind the open door with wide open eyes and that's only slightly creepy. Or really creepy. He sinks further into the tub until he can't see anything but the dirty white of the tub.

Lance isn't sure how long it took for the dragon to return. Just that he returned, a scaled human with stale blue eyes and the dark hair framing his thin face and that he was scowling. Eyebrows furrowed and in his hands was...

A rabbit. A really bloody, maimed rabbit. Part of Lance died in horror, fearing that he was going to throw the rabbit at him like he threw the fish and any plans he had of words to say to the beast went out the window. 

They stare at each other. Lance trying to tell the dragon not to do whatever he is thinking of doing with his eyes and the dragon just stared at him. The perfect face of confusion and innocence, but no. Lance was not fooled. He remembered the dead fish hitting him, remembered the claws digging into his flesh as he was shoved under stale water and most definitely remembered being bitten by the beast. So no. Lance would not fall for the kicked puppy look the other was giving him.

"Food, not fish?" Broken english met his ears and Lance pushed himself further out of the tub, eyes squinting. The dragon seemed hesitant to step into the room, and Lance could spot crappy bandaging around his arms before vanishing under a black t-shirt. Lance squinted his eyes even more because that shirt was not there before and it was way too big and oh god,

What if the dragon ate the owner and then kept it as a souvenir and wore it whenever he wanted to remember or before he was about to eat someone else? Maybe the rabbit was a trap? Lance gave a hiss, fins flaring out around him because, no. He will not fall for that. Not happening. The dragon can eat someone else and keep the bloody rabbit.

Stale blue eyes hardened and the rabbit was lowered to the dragon's side. "Stop that. Look, I help you get better. You leave later. So- so-" the words were snapped out, ending with the dragon twisting his face up as if he was trying to think of the word to say before spitting out, "work."

Lance wasn't exactly sure what the stupid lizard meant, giving a huff before chirping out a, "Or I leave now. And go back to the ocean. That sounds preferable actually."

"Can't leave now. You hurt, when better return to," the dragon opened his mouth slightly, forming a word before tentatively throwing out, "o'ean?" The boy took a step forward, eyeing Lance as if the siren was about to charge out of the tub to attack him. And that? That sent a certain thrill up Lance's spine because maybe he wasn't as helpless as he originally thought.

"To water. After heal. And eat meat. No starve?" Another step forward and Lance just watched, face half immersed in the water with his eyes stalking the predator creeping in the room. Though, the dragon didn't look very dangerous as a human, nothing but the feel of magic screamed danger at Lance. That all changed when the sharp, deadly teeth got involved again.

The dragon stops an arm length away from the top, stretches his arm out to dangle the rabbit within reach. He seems to be more at ease, not boiling with heat and Lance just watches. The dragon doesn't come any closer, keeps holding out the rabbit then says, "Food." 

Lance flashes his teeth, watches at the boy flinches away and- hands are swift, darting out and dragging the rabbit out of the dragon's loose grasp and dragon jolts back and away like he's been burned. Lance stares down at the mammal, poor thing has tears and rips everywhere. As if it was a play thing. He scrunches up his nose in distaste and drops the corpse outside of the tub. He wasn't hungry anyways plus, "I don't eat rabbits."

The lizard actually looks disgruntled at the treatment of the meat, glaring at Lance and okay. He guesses he'd be disgruntled too if somebody threw away something he caught. But he was pretty sure the dragon used the poor critter as a toy before intending to use it as food so he can deal. "And I don't eat things given to me by suspicious older people. My mami taught me better than that. Something yours clearly did not. Since we discussed the rabbit thing can I go home now? Your tub is absolutely disgusting and is probably giving me severe illnesses just by being in it. If I die from cancer or something I'll know who to blame."

Stale blue eyes just stared at him, and then as if Lance didn't even say anything the dragon motioned to his left arm and grumbled out, "I help hurt heal? With," fingers fiddled in the air before he picked at one of the bandages, eyes wide and hopeful and Lance can see a little bit of purple start setting in. He didn't make any move but the dragon seemed to take that as a green light moving closer to the tub again.

The stupid lizard plopped down, close enough to where his elbows could touch the tub but still far enough away to where Lance would have to struggle to strike at him. He pulled the few things left of the fluff pile, that wasn't really fluffy anymore, opening a box of bandages and pulling one out to squint at it. 

Lance couldn't help the choked laugh that bubbled out, the band aid was the size of his pinkie and the dragon- stupid lizard- was actually considering it. The noise shocked the dragon, head darting up and eyes wide and gold as they stared at Lance. Cautious. Everything about the dragon was overly cautious, it made him feel like the dragon was the one being held hostage, not him.

"Don't think that is big enough, buddy. Try again. Why do you even have those? Do you raid human villages or something and take whatever looks interesting to you?" The dragon was not appreciative of the comment, a growl humming in its throat as it abandoned the band aids and went for the long, cloth like wraps. He stretched them out, giving the smallest of nods when he decided they were a good enough length and then he stretched himself out reaching for Lance's arm.

Lance pulled away, bruising his back against the lip of the tub and a startled hiss escaping him. The dragon jerked back, eyes a brilliantly gold as he scowled at Lance like _he_ was the difficult one. Which, Lance wasn't. He was the one that was kidnapped and stuffed in a bathtub with stale, too warm water and most of his body being drier than any desert. He was the one that could possibly be being eaten, even if he was starting to doubt it by now. Then again, who knows what goes through a stupid lizards mind. He was pretty sure the beast liked playing with its food before eating so this could all just be one big game.

So no, Lance was not being difficult. Can't blame him to not want to be touched by those hands when he still hurts from when the dragon shoved him into the tub. A glance at the badly set bandages and he remembers, he isn't the only one hurt. 

Still.

"Don't touch me. Keep your hands to yourself, stupid lizard." Lance held his left arm closer to him, wriggling so that he could force his tail between them to act as a barrier. The tub was too tiny to get away, only adding a foot or so to the distance, and a foot? That is a distance the dragon could close quickly. Very quickly.

"Not stupid lizard." The dragon snapped before reaching out again. Lance swiped at the hand and the reptile was quick to jerk his hand back, a growl vibrating through the air. The action itself was enough evidence that yes, the dragon was indeed a stupid lizard but then there was the whole-

"I saved you and you bit me!" 

"You put fish on-" a weird hand motion before the beast just gave a huff and went, "you gave fish! I not starve!"

"And saved you from drowning you stupid lizard!"

"No!" 

"Yes I did! You would have drowned without me and then! And then you _bit_ me! You ungrateful little asshole!" Lance snarled the words, tail twitching but he couldn't even feel the cracking and he was leaning forward, sharp teeth showing. The dragon was growling, more scale than soft human flesh and eyes this eerie glow.

"I am try help! Stop that." He snapped, crossing his arms and shrinking into himself as he glared at the siren.

Lance paused before, "Trying to."

The dragon simply squinted at him, a soft hum escaping before, "what?"

"It is trying to, not try. I am trying to help." And really, Lance was only trying to help. The broken english was getting on his last nerves. Apparently though the dragon did not appreciate his help, a growl ripping out of him before he stood up and stormed out, throwing a "Stupid fish!" As he left.

The door slammed close with a resonating bang and Lance couldn't decide if he should be offended or not.

He decided he should be, stretching down to grab the mangled rabbit that was abandoned at the foot of the tub and throwing it at the door as he chirped out, "You're the stupid fish!" 

There's no reply, not that Lance was really expecting one but now? Now he's alone and it is quiet and the water is stale and itches and everything hurts and-

He misses the ocean. The sounds, the every present presence of life. You can never feel lonely in the ocean, it was brimming with life but the bathtub? This rickety little room he was stuck in? Was dead. As dead as the mauled rabbit and the creepy fish by the door. He scrunched up his nose as he stared at the deceased critters before sinking below the lip of the tub and immersing his head underwater.

He stayed there, letting the water clear his head as he tried to ignore- the burning, the cracking, the itching, the bleeding- and forget- the silence, the death, the cramps, unable to move, the stupid lizard- he just, laid there. Waiting. Eyes closed and forcing his own body to relax because surely, surely he wouldn't be here for long.

Surely he'd be home soon.

Or dead.

One of the two. Surely.


	3. Itty bitty Lizard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prolly a tad rushed, was trying to finish this before watch (which starts in 10 mins, but I made it!) and I'll add more comments later when I'm not about to be late so,
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter of awkwardness!

Keith had frogs.

Many, many frogs. And he was covered in mud and slime and it was only a little gross. Mainly because it was wet, because frogs liked to hang out next to swamps so to catch said frogs he had to deal with the wet mud. Honestly, he couldn't wait for it to dry and flake off. Take a nice relaxing dirt bath and doze in the sun.

After he deposited the frogs though. He caught the slippery things for a reason after all.

The reason being the siren with mood swings, in his bathtub.

One second he thinks this will all work out, that the siren will let him help and then the next the siren is snapping and hissing and flaring brilliantly blue fins at him. He doesn't know how to handle that outside of hurting and bleeding, and he brought the siren to help it. Not wound it further.

Not that, that is going well.

So he's been kind of avoiding the little closet and he shouldn't, knows he shouldn't but he doesn't want to go in the room with the angry, hurt siren. 

But he had frogs now, and since the siren doesn't eat fish or animals- maybe it would eat frogs? If anything, Keith just wanted to get into the siren's good graces so it would let him help it. 

He skulked into the room, head butting the door open and mouth full of slimy, dead frogs. The siren jolted out of the tub, eyes wide as they stared at him before narrowing. "What, what are you doing?" The chirp was all kinds of suspicious and had Keith freezing in his steps.

He dropped all the frogs in his mouth, quick to nudge them closer but not getting too close to the bathtub. The siren's claws gleamed and mocked him, a reminder of pain and hurt- the jagged tears along his front legs and torso sting. The siren crunched up its nose, ears fluttering before it exclaimed, "Are those frogs?!? Did you just bring frogs into your house? That's disgusting! Why would you do that? Oh my god, are they dead? Did you just bring dead frogs into your house and- you. You aren't seriously expecting me to eat those disgusting things are you?"

The creatures ears flatten, pushing itself forward with a horrified gasp and Keith isn't even sure what he did when another barrage of human was thrown at him, "You do! You do expect me to eat frogs of all things! That is just, absolutely disgusting. Holy crap, why are you so stupid? Why frogs of all things!" It ends with a harsh click, fingers pointing threateningly at Keith and Keith doesn't know what he did to deserve that horrified tone and aggression boiling out of the siren's skin.

He growls, flattening himself closer to the ground and showing teeth in warning. The siren squints at him before chittering away to itself and giving a long, heavy huff as it crossed its arms to stare at him. They just stared for a tense second, the siren watching and Keith willing himself not to move a muscle. The way those eyes stayed on him, slightly narrowed, made him feel like prey. Like the lamb before the wolf came up and ate it. Which was ridiculous.

Absolutely ridiculous. After all, he had the advantage and it was the siren that was stuck in a tub and couldn't move and- 

And was still in a bathtub. His stomach twisted because that was horrible, absolutely horrible and he don't know why he thought this would ever be a decent idea. He just, has to get the siren healthier and then he'll drag it out to the ocean and set it free and the two will never have to meet again.

And it'll be alive. He refuses to let the siren die. Refuses.

"So." The word was thrown out, drawled all slow like and had Keith snapping his head up as the siren continued at a lazy speed, "if I let you do the thing with the bandages, will you let me go home? Though don't even know why you'd be considering bandages, cloth and water never gets along well. But whatever, you're a stupid lizard anyways. Don't know why you even have that shit." 

Keith stared, unsure how to deal with the siren- with the sudden change of tone and the way the creature leaned forward with bright eyes, mouth quirked in an awkward smile. Wondered if he was reading the siren wrong earlier or reading it wrong now, or...

He just didn't know how to deal with it. The siren cocked its head to the side, "So are you gonna do your little help thing or not? You said you wouldn't hurt me right?" Awkwardness melted into hungry and predator, sharp teeth flashed and blue fins rattled around the sirens face. Dangerous, dangerous and get away,

Get away,

Get away, get away, get away.

He still remembers waking, half in the water with the creature looming close by. Watching him like a starved shark. Remembers being viewed as prey, and right now? He very much felt like prey even if the siren was in the bathtub and trapped.

Ocean eyes blinked, back to the deep blues with the glowing pupil and he feared he'd drown if he stared in them for so long.

Quickly he nudged the pile of frogs closer to the siren before darting away. As he departed he could hear the infuriated chirping from the siren, "Come on dude! Make up your fucking mind! I'm getting the feeling that you just like shoving sirens in your bathtub and playing mind games with them!" But he was gone, long gone. Away from the predatory smirk, the soft glide as the siren shifted so it was leaning closer to the door and-

He went outside, away from the ocean and away from the shack that wasn't really his. Away from the predator in his safe zone- and that still rubbed him raw. Made him feel vulnerable because safe wasn't safe anymore and yeah, he knows he was the one who caged the poor monster but. But.

Safe wasn't safe anymore.

The wounds stung, this ever present pulse and a constant reminder that no, the siren is not harmless. Might be captured and unable to escape and barely able to breathe, and fuck.

Fuck, fuck, _fuck_.

He hated his decision. Hated everything. He should have just, left the siren on the shore. It probably would have done better than being stuck somewhere it can't even breathe with someone who can't even understand it. Because he can't, Keith truly understands that he _doesn't get the siren_. Doesn't understand what one action means compared to another, what most of its human words mean, why it keeps leaving the breathable water, doesn't understand any of it.

He guesses, and guesses, and guesses. That's all he's doing is guessing and the siren keeps flip flopping, angry one moment nice the other, and undeniably predator and dangerous each and every time. And,

Alone.

Not safe.

Captured in a foreign area with a dragon that it can't even communicate with and Keith feels guilty. A sea of guilt, for everything and anything because how is it even possible to mess up this badly?

He should probably go back, the siren had sounded nicer, contemplative and open even with the sharp teeth and the hawk like eyes. It probably couldn't even control that, after all sirens are predators so everything about them should scream predator. He doesn't want to, wants to go further away. Find a new safe house that doesn't include angry sea monsters.

The tiny shack didn't come with the angry sea monster though. He put it there so wanting to run away from something he invited in is just,

Pathetic. Really, really pathetic. Makes Keith burn because he isn't supposed to be pathetic. Hasn't been pathetic since he figured out how to correctly manipulate his magic. Keith is a dangerous predator who is not pathetic or alone and he was not going to run away from a sea monster that is confined in a bathtub.

Nope, he'll just. Go back.

And try again.

Maybe the frogs actually worked? And then he probably fucked it all up when he fled but, if they did work. Then he knows a way to get into the siren's good graces. The faster the siren lets him help the faster it will heal and the faster he can put it back. And then, maybe this wouldn't be the worst idea he ever had. As long as he gets it to work in the end. As long as both of them make it alive at the end.

He returns, flat to the ground and trying to seem as small and minuscule as possible when the siren raised to glare at him, "Back so soon huh? What did your wee little brain need time to function and comprehend? God, can't believe all things I'm stuck with is an idiotic lizard. Worst way to die ever."

Keith gave a grumble, words chocking off before they ever escaped and he had to blink, let everything melt away before he tried again, "Not die. I no hurt you." 

"Yeah, a bit late for that buddy. But whatever. Not like anything I say is going to change whatever it is you are thinking. And what is your tiny little reptile mind thinking?" Blue eyes blink up at Keith as the siren sprawls out against the lip of the tub. "I personally would like to go home now. Away from you. And this bathtub. But mainly away from you, you stupid, stupid lizard." It flaunts a smile, teeth gleaming as blue fins rattle again as it spits out rapid human tongue.

Keith flounders, unsure of anything but the fact that the frogs are still by the tub, not with the rabbit or fish corpse. That, had to be a good sign right? "I help hurt heal?" He shuffles forward, careful at keeping a decent amount of distance between them. The siren cocked its head before slapping his hands across and giving a loud chirp, "Great! So I let you do that and then I get to go home right? Because you get to 'help my hurt' or whatever it is you are wanting."

The dragon blinks at him, takes another tentative step closer to the siren that just lays there, fins flat to its streamlined body. "Home when better?" The creatures crunches up its nose and Keith back pedals because that was probably the wrong thing to say and he didn't want the siren to get snappy again. "No die. No die." 

Blue eyes stare before the siren huffed out, "Whatever." Ears stayed flat, still blue but not wide and big and threatening. Says, safe and not threat. So Keith moves close, plops next to the bathtub again and grabs the cloth wraps from before and goes to reach out but-

Stops before his arm ever breaches the lip of the tub. The siren is a jittering tense mess, twitching as it watches Keith but not flaring anything out. It keeps all its fins and excess skin tucked up tight against its body and just watches with huge ocean eyes. Keith freezes, freezes and waits because he remembers the creature jerking away last time he reached to grab its arm. The siren keeps staring before timidly raising its arm and having it hover outside of the tub, completely outstretched and completely avoiding the dragon's hand.

"Don't touch me." A grumbled warning and Keith's attention is snapped from the festered wound on the creatures forearm back to the narrowed ocean watching him. He frowns before glancing back at the wound. Nasty and black and red, crusted and scabbed over in some parts and open horribly wide in others. 

He looks at the brown bottle carelessly abandoned on the floor then glances up at the siren. Supposedly it was good for wounds, at least that's what the human said. And he did bring it so... he drops the cloth in his lap and shifts over and grabs the bottle. Twists it open and then sniffs it.

It's, foul. Sharp and bitter and- "Dude, what are you even doing? Are you trying to get high off of that?" he thrusts the bottle away and it spills.

Everywhere.

On the wound and it starts fizzling and the siren is yanking its arm back with a yelp and brilliant blue is flaring again as hissed chirps echo in the room. Keith jolts away, the odor suffocating and everywhere and he can see the bubbling on the sirens arm before the creature ducks it under water. Belatedly, he wonders if he screwed everything up. Again.

And the smell-

The siren jerks its arm back towards Keith, giving a pout and rattling it's ears before chirping out, "No more peroxide. Where did you even get that stuff? I thought only mothers of five year olds had that shit. Don't you know there are better alternatives and that, that hurts like a bitch? Plus bacteria shouldn't be an issue. I live in the ocean for fucks sake. Do you know what's good for killing off bacteria? Salt water. So just, wrap it up or whatever it is you wanted to do. But shit man, where did you get peroxide at?"

Keith opened his mouth, thought of saying something but didn't even know how so he snapped it shut a moment later. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth as they say, he wasn't going to question the siren's odd cooperation. He grabbed the cloth and careful dangled it over the sea monsters arm, being careful to avoid touching. Wasn't exactly sure how this would work because he always held down one end when he wrapped up his own wounds. 

Eyes flickered up to the siren's, a hand motioning in a silent question that the siren completely ignored. Instead the creature asked, "Why do your eyes do that?" He squinted, a small hum rumbling in his throat so the siren continued, "Change color. Be blue one second and then yellow the next then purple and once they were even black! Just-" the creature scrunched up its nose, working its mouth around several words as if trying to figure out how to explain, "Changing. Being different. You know what I mean right? It's irritating."

And Keith is pretty sure he knows what the siren is asking. Though why the siren is asking makes no sense because everybody knew how it worked. It wasn't like he was some special case. The older drake that used to be around had eyes that always changed to various shades of grey, white was Keith's favorite but they ended up settling with a dark grey in the end. "No fire."

The siren gave some kind of hiccuping chirp before questioning, "You can't breathe fire?" And Keith just kind of snapped at the question because that was personal and offensive and the siren had no right- no right-

"You no legs?" He's given up on his previous inquiry by now, deciding instead to hold one end of the cloth in the air as he twirls the other around the sirens arm. Might end up too tight or too loose but, the siren would deserve it. He kind of hopes that it ends up being too tight.

"But you're a dragon! No one expects sirens to have legs dude, but a dragon? Not breathing fire? Are you broken or something? Oh, I bet I know what it is, you're just too stupid to figure it out aren't you? Stupid lizard." Keith's done, done and done and done. Never wants to deal with the siren again and he can't help the snarl that rips out of his throat and has the siren jolting back.

The siren deserves it. And he's done. Done with the siren's chatter and the bottles smell and having a predator in his safety zone. He's just, done. Done and jerking back and away because he is going to go as far away as possible before he gives into the boiling urge to just rip the siren to shreds.

He brought the stupid thing in to help it. Killing it is the exact opposite, so he shouldn't but how he wants to. He can taste it, the anger something like flame at the tip of his tongue and he wishes he could just let loose. Chest constricts, because he can't. Not in the way he wants to, is a cage to the heat bubbling up inside him and oozing out between the cracks of his scales that are covering soft human flesh.

"Wai- wait! Wait!" The frantic noise made Keith pause and turn around just in time to see the squirming siren fall right out of the tub.

Again.

That tub was definitely too tiny for the thing, and now he couldn't even leave like how he wanted because the stupid fish

Can't

Breathe

Out

Of

Water.

Fuck.  
-  
-  
-  
So maybe Lance went a bit too far. But really, what kind of dragon can't breathe fire? That is literally what they are known for. Otherwise they'd just be flying lizards, like flying squirrels. Fire made dragons what they were, so how could a dragon not breathe fire?

Or, maybe he just misunderstood the stupid lizard? A possibility. Not like had much to go off of anyways. For all he knows this is all some huge misunderstanding and the dragon meant something else entirely. Either way, he didn't mean to annoy the magical creature into leaving.

No that was the opposite of what he wanted, the overgrown lizard was supposed to bring him back to the ocean now. Lance let him do what he wanted, so now it's turn for Lance to get what he wants. Namely out of the stupid bathtub.

Not in the way that he was currently out of the tub though.

He wanted freedom and salt and life. He wanted to be able to move, wanted to be immersed in the comforting chill of the ocean's arms. Not the too hot air crowding into his sprawled form and harsh rotten floor and the squishy _frogs_ that he was laying on. What even was with the dragon bringing him deceased creatures? 

On the bright side, it got the dragon's attention, gold eyes staring down at him with a scowl on his fake human face. So it isn't like he's going to be left alone at the moment, given an annoyed dragon that was stuck in the same room as him probably wouldn't help him any with his goal.

He pushed himself up, cringing as his hand slid into a puddle of spilt peroxide (he was still questioning how the dragon got that and if he even knew what it was-) and he tried to push his body as far away from the floor and the frog corpses as he could as a few curses escape him.

Not exactly what he wanted, but with a glance up he sees that dragon boy is frozen at the door staring with wide gold eyes. So, not what he wanted but at the same time it did get what he wanted. Namely the dragon staring at him, jaw moving as if he was grinding his teeth. Lance could picture a tail flickering behind the dragon, because he definitely fit a cat more than a dog.

"Look. I didn't mean to offend you, lizard boy. Maybe I shouldn't have said that? But may-" his jaw locks onto the words before they escape because they wouldn't help him any (bat maybe the dragon shouldn't have put him in the bathtub in the first place.) "I just, I want to go home okay? So can you just let me go home? I let you do what you wanted, and if you truly don't plan to eat me," which Lance is pretty sure the beast wasn't planning to by this point- "can't you, you know? Let me go?"

He feels his fins flutter, tries his hardest to press them against himself because the dragon boy never replies well to that. Always goes tense and has ruby scales scattering across pale skin. Defensive mechanism Lance figures, defensive creatures do strange things. His arm throbs at the thought. 

The man's nose curls, dull human teeth fluctuating into being sharp terrors of a dragon's and dark eyebrows digging in deep into his nose. His mouth opens, chewing on words before giving up and letting out a hot huff. His moves are jagged as he walks closer and Lance thinks it is all wrong. It's the prowl of an infuriated predator after its last meal. Too much pressure and bubbling threat.

It's all wrong and Lance is pushing himself away because this, this is bad. Bad and horrible and he can already feel the pain as claws slide through horribly dry skin. Ears rattle, a hiss escaping a parched throat as he pushes himself against the tub. His tail wriggling, letting him go with the movement and the rotten floor splintering into broken flesh.

The dragon keeps stalking forward, hands flexing and more dragon than human and-

He moves quickly, Lance will give the dragon that. Awkwardly darting forward and trying to get a decent hold against Lance's torso as the siren squirms and struggles. Lance's claws are getting caught between scales as he struggles, jagged jerks and broken tears as clumps of scales are turn off and-

He's all but thrown into the tub, not shoved in like last time but the dragon all but throws him into the tub. He hits with a hard thump, more bruises to add and all the breathe in his lungs escape into stale water and-

He's out like a viper. Pushed in just to have more momentum to go forward. Latches claws into a surprised dragon before he's falling back into the tub. His tail is moving, trying to give more room, more strength, more everything. He's got a good grip on the dragon's hair and neck and shoulders as he collapses back into the tub. Quick with moving and trying to avoid the dragon's frantic movements.

Long seconds pass, and suddenly Lance has no grip because there is no more tiny human dragon. No there's a burning snout and loud teeth and now Lance is the one frantic to escape as the dragon shakes him loose and snaps. 

Theres, 

Lots of blood and Lance can't really breathe anymore when the dragon yanks himself away from the water. He's glaring with black eyes, probably full of hate and oh god,

Why did Lance do that?

Of all things, he shouldn't be pissing off the dragon more but- 

"Stop doing that! You can try to drown me all you want but that is never going to be a fight you win buddy." He snaps, fins flutter and. Wow. That hurts. Everything kind of hurts and his chest burns. The wrapping around his arm is gone and, he wants to go home.

Wants the salt. Wants the cold. Wants the peace and quiet and yet constant loudness of life. He wants to be able to move and not hurt.

Wants to go home.

The dragon hisses, an odd sound coming from the reptile and Lance is pretty sure the beast means 'fuck you'. Which Lance returns whole heartedly. He can't even stop the large thump his tail gives as he slams it down in front of the dragon. 

The frogs are the only that soften the hurt that, that action brought. And, he softens. A little, because he's pretty sure the dragon is trying. Trying what, Lance isn't really sure of. Something semi-friendly though? Or, the dragon was just hoping to kill him through deceased animals and hot temperatures and minuscules amount of water and-

Well. The more he thinks about it the worse it gets and the darker his thoughts turn. So he should stop. Be a bit nicer, try to talk the stupid beast into getting him home?

Because Lance might be an air breather, might be able to function out of water, but he doesn't think he could drag himself who knows how far away to get back to the ocean. Doesn't even know the way even if he did think he could manage. So the dragon? Was his best bet.

"Really. Stop shoving me under the stupid water." He keeps his tone softer, bites down on the urge of sharp clicking and low hisses. The dragon cocks his head, melts away and twitches closer to the door as black eyes watch.

Overly cautious.

Lance thinks he might have burned down a bridge with his earlier attempt but then, "You live under water." The words are growled and are spoken slowly, a heavy mixture of confusion and acting like he is explaining something to a child. Eyes squint at Lance and Lance is pretty sure this is where he should ignore the fact that the stupid lizard thinks he's the stupid one.

"Yeah. In the ocean. Not in your nasty, stale bathtub water." That's even dirtier than before. Has the faint scent of iron and fire and he can see specks of scale and the murky waters. He's pretty sure the new wounds he recently received are going to be doomed to infection after festering for who knows how long in the disgusting water.

"Bad to dry?" The dragon still has this slow speech going on, the tightest little scowl on his face as he watched the siren. And Lance? Wasn't even sure what the dragon meant with those words. He could guess, but he seemed to be guessing a lot lately.

"Oh. So now you care. Why didn't you care before? Ya know, before you stuck me in your stupid tub to began with?" A flinch, dark eyes squint even further and Lance somewhat worries they are just going to vanish all together. The dragon replies quickly, messy and stuttering, "I care! You, heal. Help heal. Be better? No bad."

"Oh, like I'm doing so much healing right now. So much. Not like you tried to drown me or anything. Twice. Tried to drown me _twice_ . Like once wasn't enough. How did you like it, buddy? Did it help you heal at all?" Lance spits out the words, no longer caring if the dragon is his only was back to the ocean. Eyes widen, turning a delicate gold and the dragon is taking a step back with the venomous words falling out of Lance's mouth.

Polar opposite to the dragon previous, the one boiling and prowling like a predator. Looks more like a lost pup than ever and there is a small part of Lance that takes joy of it. That is ecstatic over it. A small thread of control, that dangles over his head and jerks away just as Lance goes to reach for it. 

The dragon's frown twists, mutates to something else that Lance can't identify and he's jerking back, more scale than human. Belatedly, Lance wonders if he went too far. If he screwed up again on getting the over grown lizard into releasing him. Probably, he can't really feel regret though as he burns holes into the beasts frame.

"You- water-" The reptile's nose curls, mouth opening and closing around unspoken words and he made another frantic hand motion as if that was supposed to explain everything. Which, no. It did not. Lance is not skilled in dragon language so-

"Stupid lizard you are going to have to use your words. I cannot read, whatever it was you just did with your hand. You are making literally no sense what so ever. What even was that supposed to be? Are you trying to figure out how to flip people off? Because if so, boy do I have to tell you buddy-"

"Shut up."

Figures that of all the coherent things the dragon knows, it's 'shut up'. Just Lance's luck and the dragon was so rude too. Lance gave a huff, leaning back against the lip of the tub and crossing his arms. A universal 'well if you are so smart then figure it out yourself'. Sarcasm included. The dragon just glared in return, giving a huff and then,

Nothing. No attempts to talk, just gold eyes glaring down at Lance and Lance can't help but fidget. Cringes at the pain each movement makes, feels like a huge bruise that's torn up all over. Not a pleasant experience, definitely not something he'd recommend.

"I." The dragon pauses, mouth twists as if he's eating something sour and the next word he spits out is all kinds of nervous and unsure, "sorry?" He fidgets, leaning further away and Lance just watches, fixated. "You... breth? Brayth? Water. I help? No bad." The words are slow, like he's thought them over and still isn't sure if they are correct.

"I breathe air, stupid lizard." An annoyed look crosses the dragon's face but Lance is all for ignoring and continuing on, "Like you. And you tried to drown me. That is not helping. None of this is helping. Why would you even do this-"

The overgrown lizard in human skin is gone. Fleeing the scene like a criminal and Lance can't stop the snarl that escapes him because the man kept _doing that_. He has half the mind to try to reach for the slippery frogs on the floor, but by now the pile is scattered and squashed like pancakes. Wasn't worth the risk of him falling out of the tub a third time.

So, he sits there. Taking time to splash murky, disgusting water on his tail because it burns. Burns and itches, he wants to claw it all off because it is running just a bit too hot but each touch burns. Scars. He wonders if his tail would ever look the same after being dried out for so long.

Wonders how long its been. He can't tell with the darkness, the only light source coming from the door and even then it wasn't much. He's pretty sure it has been at least one day. 

At least.

He misses being able to see the shattered rays of sunlight or a rippling moon. Misses the currents, an ever present push and pull. Something that glides against his skin and scales lovingly. Like a mother's embrace.

And he, he just. Sits there. Slow movements and waiting and hating the silence and the darkness. The presence of absolute nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

The dragon returns sometime, not covered in dirt and mud anymore and eyes back to that stale blue they were the first time Lance saw him. Lance has half the mind to ignore him, like he's been getting ignored. Or maybe not? But it feels like it has been forever so it doesn't matter either way.

"You live out water?" The words are just thrown out, not a single breathe between them and the stale blue are wide open. Lance narrows his eyes at the stupid lizard, unsure and slamming down on that speck of hope that the reptile was considering moving him back to the ocean. Letting him go back home despite Lance snapping and trying to drown the stupid beast.

Lance is pretty sure if he was in the dragon's position he'd probably let the siren die. Maybe. Like, a tiny possibility. He'd have considered it at the very least.

Most likely though, the dragon was just wanting to know if he could get away with putting the siren somewhere else. Probably wanted to take a bath himself and Lance is pretty confident in his guess as the tub he was in being the only tub the reptile owned.

"Yes, but I'm not really a land being so-"

"No die?" The dragon interrupted, voice holding this frantic fluttering. As if Lance's answer mattered, as if everything depended on Lance's answer. The reply was a cautious, "No, I won't die." A timid thing, something that Lance wish he could pull back if it was indeed the wrong reply. He didn't want to get into any situation worse than he already was, and sure the dragon didn't exactly do anything cruel.

Outside of drowning and biting and scratching and drying him out.

Okay, yeah Lance still isn't okay with any of that. Doesn't think he will ever be okay with that.

But most likely, the reptile wasn't planning drying him out completely and,

And,

Lance just really wanted to be back in the ocean. Back where everything was nice and comforting and home. Not hot and cold in the way he's never had to deal with cold. Not with pain and a faint iron smell and corpses strewn about and the fainter smell of peroxide, spilt and forgotten about. 

So, he was hoping. Trying not to hope but he couldn't help the way his pulse raced because this might be it. Might be when the dragon lets him go back home. Lets him be free. 

The reptile had perked up at the words, eyes a vibrant purple that made Lance think of galaxies and the beast released this little growling shriek, darting closer and reaching with dull human hands that are sometimes sharp and-

Lance jerks back, trying to get away and a hiss rattles up his throat as fins flare out. Too fast, too fast. Still too threatening to allow touch and possible maiming and Lance can remember those hands shoving him down into water and digging into too delicate flesh.

The dragon yanks away, like something was pulling his strings and suddenly decided he was going the wrong way. Purple eyes blink at him, dark eyebrows scrunching down again and, "Help. Water, out," dull teeth chew his lips as the dragon thinks before tacking on, "no die. Home?"

Lance scowls at him, shaking his ears as he tried to figure out how to reply. Because, okay he never really thought about it. Considered that for him to get to the ocean the stupid lizard would have to carry him. He'd have to be all dry for who knows how long and have to deal with the boiling touch of the dragon. Had to be carried by living flames (even if the dragon can't breathe fire).

But, the dragon plans on bringing him home. He can be _home_ again. And sure, it probably hasn't been long but he's been in the ocean for decades. Hasn't left its embrace in decades and he misses it. Misses it so much that it burns. And, dealing with the stupid lizard? Would surely be worth getting back home.

"What's your name?" The words stumble out on their own accords, a curiosity and a stalling mechanism all the same. The dragon squints violet eyes at him, replying with a cautious "Kheirgtha."  
And Lance, Lance wasn't going to touch the growled word with a ten foot pole. Didn't even think his vocals could pronounce it properly even if he tried.

"Alright... Keith. I wish I could say it was a pleasure to meet you but it really hasn't been. I'm Lance and I'd really like to go home now so you can do your... carry thing?" The words are arrogant, but then falter into this awkwardness because Lance isn't too sure on how to even say something. How does one say it's okay now? When it really isn't but he figures it is worth it so therefore okay and okay, Lance is also pretty sure the dragon (Kegra? Or whatever. Keith.) couldn't understand him anyways what with the blank look on the beast's face.

"Home." Lance prompts, raising his arms and bracing for the worst. Bracing for too hot touch and too much dryness and not enough water and cold. The dragon (Keith, he's gotta be a Keith. Lance thinks he could see it too. He had a very Keithy look.) just blinked at him before taking this little step forward. Overly cautious, like before. It seemed to be a cycle, rash and aggressive with spurts of timid and undeniable prey like behavior. 

Lance resist the urge to puff up, flare out his fins just to scare the stupid lizard. This is the time to suck things up and deal because he gets to go home soon. 

Home.

That's all that matters.

There's no more talking after that, some awkward maneuvers and Lance finds himself dangling around the runt of a dragon like a piece of jewelry. Awkward, uncomfortable but no part of the siren touches the ground so Lance can't complain too much.

What he does know though, is that everything hurt so much more, felt so much worse. He felt hollow and empty and burnt out and he couldn't wait to erase everything away. To let the ocean's gentle touch wash everything away. Wash the entire thing away like some long forgotten memory.

He never wanted to remember this again, but that's wrong. Because whilst it was unpleasant it was interesting and okay, so he could go without the entire bathtub experience but.

A dragon.

He met a dragon.

Why would he ever want to forget that?

And maybe that's why he did it. Or the fact that he couldn't help but remember the empty house and tiny dragon and the overwhelming silence. The unnatural stillness of everything. The broken up words, the attempts at finding food (or, at least what Lance was hoping was food. He was scared of any other reason.) Or, maybe it was something else.

But whatever it is, it made him act out when the dragon dropped him in wet sand.

Made him twist around and grab a startled dragons melting leg as it turned arm.

"You can't leave yet!" The words just fall out, his eyes wide as he stares up at the scaled human face. Yellow eyes blink at him before his eyebrows do that crunching up thing they did so frequently, "I can leave?" The words, what should be a statement sounded horribly questioning and confusion was written all over Keith's face.

"Nope! You can't! We bonded, you held me hostage in your bathtub, I tried to drown you. We bonded, you can't just abandon our friendship like that." The dragon looks even more confused with every word that escapes, like a bird ready to flee with the way he kept shifting his weight.

"I can?"

"Come here tomorrow, I can teach you to swim or something."

And, yeah Lance doesn't know why he did it. Why he reached out to the dragon but, thinking of the shack that was hot but cold in a way Lance never knew before. Thinking of the silence. Thinking of the lost little lizard he first found- he just.

He can't bring himself to regret it.

Even if the stupid lizard was wearing an expression as if the strangest thing had just happened.


	4. Talking is Weird

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The amount of times where I started this and then stopped it for a long period of time just to start it again. This is probably really choppy like (and I have reverted back to my usual writing with lots of time skips, this will probably continue for at least the next two chapters? Maybe? I dunno)
> 
> I actually used 0 of the dialogue that I have planned in this, and isn't that depressing? Next chapter should have a few clippets though. Hopefully.
> 
> Really this is more like a filler chapter? Mainly my trying to build up their relationship naturally without making it forced? (Not that I think I succeeded very well here. Really need to rewrite this one day so it'll be a smoother transition that'll make more sense)
> 
> Also! Got my laptop which is horribly nice- but bad at the same time because this chapter took as long as it did because I kind of been distracted? Finally started working on a comic I've been making for a horribly long time now so... getting distracted easily haha
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy this chapter though! (Also, from this point on, it is my hope to make things really fluffy. Because this story was supposed to be my attempt at fluff, and so far it isn't really fluffy but now? Trying for all the fluff and good feels and what not. Trying being key word. I'm much better at angst haha)

Lance didn't expect to see the dragon (Keith) again. Not really. He might have told the other to come back to the shore, but was Lance really expecting him to do that?

 

No.

 

Didn't change the fact that after the sun peeked over the horizon Lance found himself lurking closer to the shore than before. He kept to the cooler, deeper waters though and would just  glance at the shore. Look, see that nothing is there and feel this odd disappointment before he ventured elsewhere only to return sometime later.

 

Rinse and repeat.

 

However, he was high. High on salt and freedom and chilly presence of home. Enveloped in life. He could hear everything, feel the gentle waves of things moving close by and it is amazing. He doesn't know how long he was out of the water but this? This he missed dearly, so dearly. So, he was happy.

 

So very happy. 

 

Everything still hurt though, the first time he drowned himself in the ocean's presence it stung. A horrible burning as salt water wedged itself into his open wounds. Cleansing, hopefully preventing any infection that he was pretty confident the disgusting bath water would have given him. It was... a good kind of pain. The healing kind. Where, yeah it hurts but you'll know it'll get better with time. 

 

Because everything took time.

 

Which was why he kept coming close to shore, to look for the human or the scrawny dragon. Leaving with disappointment thick on his tongue even though he knew. He knew he wouldn't see Keith again, barely saw him before the stupid lizard decided to stick him in a bathtub.

 

That, he still couldn't understand. Didn't want to touch with a ten foot pole because, who even does that? Who stuffs other creatures in tiny containers and expects things to be okay? Stupid lizards apparently.

 

And who is willing to forgive stupid lizards? Lance is, probably. Maybe. A big maybe, doesn't think he'll ever be comfortable around Keith again but, when he thinks of the tiny shack and the fact that it was _just_ the dragon, no one else? He feels that sympathetic twinge, can imagine how awful it is. 

 

And Lance is a giving person, he is. So, he gave. And is now waiting for a dragon that is never going to show up.

 

But he gave, he put the offer out there. A timid strand of, hey let's be kind-of friends. Let's be creatures that talk every once in a blue moon. After all, Keith lived by the ocean so he can't hate it that much. And Lance is okay with occasionally coming close to shore. Just occasionally. Never out of the water though, doesn't think he'll ever be able to do that with the dragon after the beast stuck him a bathtub of all places.

 

But, being close to the shore and maybe talking to the dragon? He could do. Even if it is really bad talking, maybe he can even teach Keith better english? After all, Lance has always considered himself a good teacher what with all his siblings.

 

It's dusk when he sees it. Or rather, him. The crimson blob on the outskirts of the shore, wings tucked in tight and head resting low. Lance was too far away to see what color the creatures eyes were, he bet it was either that dark purple or the bright gold. Preferred the purple over the gold, less otherworldly and predator like.

 

And it's a surprise, a surprise that the dragon even showed. Faintly he wonders why, he's pretty sure that the dragon didn't even understand him but here he is. In all his dull red glory, crouched right at the sandy edges of the shore.

 

First reaction was stupid, everything in Lance screaming to get away, get away. He doesn't even remember the dragon carrying him into the shack but Keith must have picked him out of the ocean and he doesn't want to go back. Doesn't want to have to wake up and not be home. To be drying out and for everything to hurt and be hot, so unbearably hot.

 

And it is stupid. Because he knows that isn't what is going to happen. Keith brought him back after all. Shortly after figuring out he could breathe out of water (which Lance thought the dragon was stupid for not realizing sooner? Of all things to be ignorant of?) the stupid lizard moved him. Returned him back to the ocean depths so obviously the dragon didn't want him in the tub as much as Lance didn't want to be in the tub.

 

Keith _returned_ him. Brought him back home. Where he belongs.

 

So he pushes past that first reaction, scrapes by the second reaction of aggressive and defensive and warnings. He goes straight for the third, creeps a little closer before-

 

"Stupid lizard!"

 

The dragon jolts, back arching as he searched desperately for the cause of the sound before looking in Lance's direction. A pause, wings ruffle before settling close to the thin frame and Keith settled back down.

 

No other words were passed between them, Keith stayed at the foot of the sandy shore and Lance kept close to the shallows. Keith seemed to keep his eyes forever tilted in Lance's direction, tail flickering back and forth and,

 

Lance didn't mind too much. Would pop out from under the currents just so that the dragon could see him before he vanished again.

-

-

-

It became an odd routine, every time the sun is ducking below the horizon Lance would find the crimson lump on the shore. Sometimes Keith would venture closer to the water but usually he stayed where grass and sand merged. Sometimes Lance would venture closer, close enough where his hands could touch warm, damp sand as his head was still above water.

 

Lance never spoke again though. They just sat in silence and watched the other. Careful, cautious.

 

After the first few times Lance stopped feeling the urge to flee.

 

And it might not have been what Lance was originally thinking of, when he told the dragon that they had a friendship but. It was...

 

Better. Somehow better than what he thought.

 

Just silence and a dying sun. Barely any movement from Keith and Lance stayed in the deeper waters where he was safe.

 

It was,

 

Comfortable.

-

-

-

They lasted a while, many late night meetings before anything changed. More of an accident than anything really. Or at least, that's what Lance thinks. It was Keith who changed it, or maybe Lance. He had popped near the shore to spy on the dragon's favorite resting spot in the daylight when instead he saw the dragon rummaging through a brown bag.

 

As a human.

 

A small part of Lance might have forgotten that the dragon could do that, shift forms. Still a skinny little thing, wearing clothes too baggy to actually be his and hands digging into the bag for something. If Lance strained his ears he could hear soft rumbles and growls escaping. Not like what he's heard before from the beast.

 

"Keith?" An offer, of something new. Of maybe actually communicating, or trying to. Of learning from each other and maybe moving past scabbed over wounds. The dragon had jerked his head up, eyes wide as he stared at the siren creeping slightly closer.

 

Not too close, never too close. Lance makes sure he is far enough away to where he could flee if the dragon makes the wrong move. Keith voice croaks out a reply, awkward sounding and still holding that rumbling growl, "Fish." And, the voice is kind of worse than the dragon himself. It grates over Lance's scales, makes old wounds burn and he wants to reach out and smooth his hand across growing scales.

 

Still so silly, that a simple change makes his body thrum with the need to run away. Lance is better than that though, he wasn't going to run away just because a dragon (who couldn't even touch him) spoke.

 

They stare at each other, a standstill on what to do before Lance gives and ducks underwater.

 

That night, the dragon moved a little closer to the ocean waves and Lance crept close enough where he could see bright purple eyes flittering open and close. 

 

"So, is this your  way of accepting that we are bonded now? Because if so, I have to tell you our friendship has been sorely lacking." False, but the ruby dragon didn't know that. Lance makes sure to keep his distance even as words escape him and purple eyes blink at him some more.

 

If Lance was hoping for a reply, he was to be horribly disappointed because Keith made no move to shift forms.

 

But that was okay too, Lance kind of preferred the dragon form now. Didn't attach the scaled beast to the hands shoving him underwater, to the  face of irritation and snapped words. He tied the dragon to, something understandable. Something prickly and easily threatened. Whilst the human Keith should fall under the same thought, he didn't. It was stupid but he couldn't tie the human version down the same way even if he knew they were the same.

 

Keith doesn't speak another word, and Lance is okay with that.

 

Figures they'll fall back to their previous routine of watching but never interacting. Of enjoying the far away presence of something else.

-

-

-

Lance was wrong, horribly wrong.

 

The very next night sits a fidgeting _human_ Keith, hands brushing the sand as eyes keep darting out to the ocean. Lance isn't too sure what to make of it, or if he is to make anything of it? Does the dragon want him to act the same? If so, he was going to be disappointed because Lance wanted to stay as far away from the other as possible. 

 

He doesn't though, but Lance doesn't move forward either. He just stays there with just his head floating above the water. Close enough to see him, where they can both see each other. But far enough away where Lance could vanish within a second and the dragon wouldn't be able to do anything about it. Stays, safe. As safe as he could be with his skin crawling with the urge to run.

 

Maybe they are going backwards, or Keith was moving too fast. Or something. Because it has been a while since he felt old wounds burn and itch and he could swear the water was blooming crimson with broken scabs. It wasn't, of course it wasn’t, but it felt like it. 

 

"Shea fish?" Lance startles at the words, attention fragmenting before snapping back in place to stare at the magicked on human disguise. Keith's mouth keeps moving, chewing on words but not letting any slip out before, "You sheeing fish? From," long pause of silence and Lance is just staring. It's been so long since he heard the broken english, in actual sentences. "Big shea?" There is this awkward hand movement to indicate to ocean waters before the dragon thought better of it and abandoned the effort.

 

Everything about it, Lance has mixed feelings. Still wants to run, but at the same time he wants to laugh and yet he also is pretty sure he should be offended. The dragon keeps calling him a fish after all. He decides to settle on being offended, barking out a- "I'm not a fish you stupid lizard!"

 

Keith's head cocks to the side, "No shea fish? Fish only?" Lance dares creep a little closer, fins flaring out as he spits out, "Not any kind of fish! I'm a siren! Idiot, who doesn't know that?" He watches as bright gold eyes blink, scales creeping up high cheekbones before the dragon offers a strangled word, "Sitan?"

 

"No, no, no. Siren. Sigh-Ren."

 

"Siran." 

 

Lance scowls before giving a huff and, "Close enough." It isn't, but it is better than nothing, or fish. Fish of all things. Lance wasn't a fish! The dragon seems pleased with the acceptance, a small hum vibrating in the air. They fall into another silence, Lance figured that'd be it. No more comments or odd interactions. They'd go back to how they were before, and maybe they can try to breach the awkwardness later.

 

That's what he thought until he noticed Keith opening and closing his mouth, expression turning as if he just bit into a lemon. So Lance waits, tail flickering back and forth as Keith chews on each and every word before swallowing them down. And maybe Lance would have waited most of the night, for whatever awkward sentence that passes the dragon's human lips, but Keith himself seemed to get irritated, form mutating into the more familiar scaled beast as he turned away and fled.

-

-

-

Keith was a dragon again the next night, but he sat close to the waters reach.

-

-

-

Lance steadily creeps closer, every inch a victory to himself. He hated the timidness of everything, wanted to be able to charge in like before, but he doesn't think he'd have been able to before when the only thing between them was Keith biting him. Now that there was the fact that Keith took him away from his home and then left him in a disgusting tub to dry out? Lance was more surprised that he was even considering getting in the dragon's reach again.

 

But he wanted to, that's what shocked him. He wanted to, god forbid, be friends with the stupid lizard. Wanted to be able to laugh at mixed up words and watch the reptile learn and grow. Wanted to see the dragon not be skittish, to be the brave daring little thing Lance was pretty sure the dragon was. He wanted to be able to lay close to the dragon and not have his heart flutter like a panicked bird because he feels threatened. He wanted to be able to touch the thin wings that the dragon kept trying to use as walls, wanted to watch Keith spread them wide and fly.

 

He wanted a lot of things. A lot of strange things. He's pretty sure on why he wanted those things too. It's been a while after all. A while since he had someone else he could talk to, lay next to, enjoy sunsets and sunrises with. Someone to laugh and joke with. And he misses that. He does.

 

He's always been a social guy, always loved being with others. Yes, the ocean was great and full of life and he'd never abandon it but, there is something about having someone like you. Who you can talk to, who you understand and who understands you. And no matter how Lance wishes, he knows the ocean will never be that.

 

But Keith? Weird, stupid (but not so stupid, because he's a dragon learning english. On his own, because Lance is pretty sure the dragon has nobody too.) lizard Keith. The one who acts on instinct and thinks after. The one who tries, and fails a lot, and probably means no harm because Lance knows if the dragon had wanted to hurt him he'd be in a lot worse shape than he currently was. Keith who kept showing up at sunset like clockwork.

 

Keith who was consistent.

 

Lance could see Keith as a friend. It could really happen, so Lance keeps creeping closer. Lance swallows his fears and doubts and worries and pushes that much closer. Eventually, he'll be close enough to where he wouldn't be able to flee if Keith turns on him. Eventually he'll drag his body up too warm sand and bask in the presence of the other.

 

But first is moving slowly closer, and every night he's closer than the last. 

 

Keith watches with his odd, color changing eyes. Always in dragon form.

-

-

-

The sun is high in the sky when Lance decides to try something. Something that tugs at his mind as a bad idea, a really bad idea. But that's why he has to try it, has to see if he can do it. If he can't, then something is wrong. Then maybe he is a little broken. 

 

But there is no reason for that. Because it is simple, drag himself out of the water. He's done it before, many times before. So that should dispel the apprehension bubbling in his stomach, but it doesn't. His stomach is all aflutter and boiling and his heart can't slow down because, 

 

Because,

 

What if he can't? What if, for some stupid reason he can't? His scales burn, itch. They feel dry which is stupid because he is still underwater, still safe and wet and not hurt. He is perfectly fine but he dreads. How he dreads.

 

So he has to do it, has to swallow and toughen up and do it.

 

It's not like it is hard, he's done it before. Many times before. But the second he thinks of dragging himself out, dragging himself into dry air and impossible to maneuver in sand? That's the second he sees himself getting dragged away, feels pin pricks of claws and teeth and his scales hurt so much and his fins getting ripped and-

 

It is so silly and stupid, he wasn't even conscious when the dragon dragged him out. 

 

He,

 

Can't bring himself to drag himself up onto the shore. Just sits there trying, telling himself he will in just a second. One more second.

 

The sun starts falling and he leaves, never having dragged himself onto the shore.

-

-

-

 

Keith is… worried. About a lot of things, everything, stupid things. He keeps finding himself watching the ocean and wishing he could… explain. Apologize. Everything just went horribly wrong. But he doesn’t know the words, doesn’t know how to properly portray it, everything. Doesn’t know how to get across his thoughts, what he meant. Because, he didn’t mean to.

 

He didn’t mean to hurt the poor thing (Siran? He thinks that is what the siren was trying to call itself) and, if he could redo it. He’d, make things better.

 

Wouldn’t even pick up the funky fish in the first place. But he can’t, he can’t rewind time. He can’t fix things. So it is just yet another thing that he has done wrong, horribly wrong. Another part where he has hurt someone else or chased off someone else or, or,

 

Just. Another reason for him to hole himself up in the shack too close to the ocean and too far away from what he used to know as home. Just another excuse to stare at the ocean and wish and dream, to flap his wings but never actually go anywhere.

 

So he keeps coming back to the shore, keeps watching the siren swim in circles and do beautiful leaps and spins. Keeps watching as the siren creeps steadily closer and closer, before stopping. As if wanting Keith to close the rest of the distance but Keith can’t, he just can’t.

 

Water is still cold, and drags him down and makes him bare in the worst ways possible. And, he can’t bring himself to be closer to the siren, doesn’t trust himself not to hurt the siren all over again. Because he would, without a doubt he could envision claws dragging through the soft flesh of the siren, catching on bits of scale here and there. Could feel blood dripping down his arm, curving to hit the inside before falling or see the crimson blossoming in frozen waters- blending almost perfectly with the blues and the browns.

 

He couldn’t risk it, couldn’t chance hurting the siren yet again. Couldn’t trust himself not too, because he has done it so many times already. Even when he intended to help the poor creature he ended up wounding it and destroying it and was probably going to kill it. So he couldn’t, couldn’t breach the few feet that distance them. 

 

But he couldn’t stop either, he didn’t know why but no matter what he did his thoughts would keep getting dragged out to sea. Even found himself questioning things he never questioned before, learning words from strangers and trying to see how he could use them to better understand. He kept trying, and trying and he didn’t know why and he refused to try in reality. Try to muster up the words that would, explain. Or something. Anything. An apology.

 

And he couldn’t, couldn’t do it. Couldn’t try to actually speak them even though he kept learning and learning and trying for something he’d never honestly _try_. It was okay though, it was okay because he could fool himself into believing that he’s actually doing something when really he can’t bring himself to risk ruining anything else.

 

It was, okay. Okay in the way that wasn’t okay but you live with it the same way you live with everything because it wouldn’t be the first time Keith had a shitty hand dealt to him. It would flow just the same as everything else so it was okay.

 

He still kept going to the ocean, kept hiding behind dark scales and silent words.

 

Kept watching as Siran floated about, sometimes the other would mention a word, most times they would settle in silence.

 

Not a word passed but silent promises of returning the next night.

 

-

-

-

It worked, for a while. During the dry season where there was no rain and only heat and sun. The second the rain started though, that’s when things changed. When the sun was setting but rain stormed outside and Keith would find himself curled in blankets and pillows and watching the ocean outside of one of the old windows in the shack.

 

That was the first of many times where he wouldn’t show up at the shoreline. Guilt would bite at him, it was a routine and he was certain Siran was out there, somewhere. Probably waiting for their nightly staring contest before flouncing off somewhere else in the oceans depth.

 

He wondered what the siren would think, wondered if the siren would stop showing up.

 

A small part of him hoped Siran would stop showing up. Would mean he wouldn’t have to worry about the unspoken words at the tip of his tongue.

 

An even smaller part hoped that the creature would never stop showing up until Keith could apologize like he wanted to. He was pretty sure he’d never actually do it though, no matter how hard he tried the words always tasted foul.

-

-

-

The third night of the rain season it was sunny. Well, sunny was an exaggeration as clouds still covered most of the sky. But it wasn’t raining and that is what mattered most to Keith. No rain meant no coldness and no bone deep exhaustion and he was free to leave the shack. So he left the shack and went to the shore and waited.

 

Waited on a siren that probably wouldn’t show, not after three days of absence. He wouldn’t blame Siran for it, he knows what it is like waiting on someone who never shows. He stopped waiting too, given it took a lot longer than three days but he was more attached to who he waited on than any attachment the creature had on him. 

 

So really, the chances of Siran showing up for their now broken staring ritual is slim to none. But Keith wanted to be able to say he put the effort, put some effort. That he tried, that it wouldn’t be his fault anymore. Anything to not be drowned in the guilt that builds up to float away just to build up all over again. Foreign words still burn at the tip of his tongue, ready to come out but he was unwilling to let them loose. They tasted too sour, too wrong to be released. They tasted like a pathetic attempt and he couldn’t-

 

“Stupid lizard! Finally decided to show up huh? What did you decide that now I’d be worth your time or something?” Angry words were snapped out, echoing over slow moving waves and Keith’s eyes searched frantically before finally finding the brown head bobbing out of the water. The rest of Siran was beneath the blue waters, somewhere where Keith wouldn’t be able to see.

 

He opened his mouth, human tongue about to escape before his throat constricted and the words were unable to be released into the air. They choked him, smothered and burned his insides like fire and smoke would. So he stops, freezes and thinks and then tries again after shifting so he wouldn’t suffocate on strange vowels and noises.

 

“Sorry.” The word that’s been burning escapes when it wasn’t the word he wanted to let loose. He wasn’t ready yet, nothing was ready yet and everything was still wrong but still it fled. He hurried to add to it, thinking of previous conversations with humans and reasons to apologize. “Siran…. sad?” He can only hope it was the right word, too many mixing up and he can only remember certain ones so he’s taking a chance on something that probably won’t even work.

 

The siren huffs, pulls itself closer before growling at a, “I am not sad you stupid lizard! Why would I be sad just because you decided you wouldn’t show your scaley hide!” Bright blue rattles around Siran’s head, sharp thin teeth bared and Keith couldn’t help the slight flinch away. That’s all he did, refused to move more than that bare inch away from the creature still too far away to be any kind of threat so his feet stayed rooted to the sandy shores.

 

“No sad?” Was all Keith could think, maybe he got the wrong word? Maybe it was something else? Maybe he was misunderstanding the siren again, but he was pretty sure Siran was agitated and unhappy and _angry_. Everything, the bared teeth and the rattling fins and the tenseness and the back fins that seemed to whip through the water all pointed to an agitated creature. Something tense and ready to attack and he didn’t know how he could interpret that any other way.

 

“No I am not sad. Why did you even show up this time? And why make yourself all human, thought we weren’t going to be doing that?” A huff, something that echoed on the water and then bright blue flattened itself against Siran’s frame before the creature creeped a tad closer. Blue eyes wide and curious as they peeked over the water at him.

 

Keith sat, mouth twisting but nothing coming up. No response that’d make sense, no sense made of most of what the siren even said so Keith just sat there. Watching Siran as blue eyes watched back. The creature gave a snort after a few minutes passed, blue fins flashing for a second before it gave a hissed out, “And back to silence. Do you just not know how to talk when you don’t have some hapless creature stuck in your bathtub?”

 

The word sorry almost bubbles out, because this would be a great time because he knows some of those words. Knows the word bathtub because he’s asked a few days ago so he could word it right but the words are stuck and as foul tasting as always and-

 

Siran ducks underwater again and it is ruined.

 

Keith wonders if this will be the last time the siren shows up.

-

-

-

Siran shows up the next time, and Keith is unbelievably relieved. Ever awkward, horrible twist in his stomach just releasing at the sight of the brown and blue and grey splattered creature in the water. 

 

Keith creeps closer to the water, just right of its reach as he watches the siren that sometimes creeps closer and offers a hum before it darts away again. Things honestly look like they might go back to being normal and the words that stick to the back of Keith’s throat feel lighter just thinking that he’ll be able to say them.

One day, when they are ready and perfect and won’t make things worse. Not now though, in the human village he still stumbles over some of the words  and doesn’t know how to ask for others. Like how to ask for the word of taking someone away from their home, of capturing them and sticking them where they should never be and almost killing them and starving them and-

 

But one day he’ll have the right words. Hopefully. Probably.

 

Even if he never actually says them.

-

-

-

It gets ruined two days later with a terrible storm that has Keith tucked in tightly in layers and layers of blankets and pillows and warmth and safety. In a nest that was just his and made him feel _safe_. Like nothing could or would touch him. Like he was never abandoned and he was home and-

 

Honestly, he doesn’t know why he has such an attachment to the softness of the blankets and pillows. Doesn’t know why he likes to surround himself with it and why it makes everything feel better- like he suddenly has more control on everything because nothing could dare hurt him in the small make shift nest. He’s always figured it was a dragon thing, but he doesn’t remember it being an issue before when he was younger.

 

Then again, when he was younger he was always surrounded by a breathing furnace that would protect him no matter what. He had a wall of scales on each side of him that burned in the best way. When he was younger he had a living nest of scale and bone and fire.

 

He guessed the blankets and pillows were a good trade. He especially liked shoving his face between the layers where darkness would consume everything and it would just feel like he was in a smaller place, less open and exposed and-

 

Safer.

-

-

-

The siren just frowned at him the next time, eyebrows scrunched up as it watched him from afar. Keith almost thought Siran was going to talk again, but the creature never made a noise.

-

-

-

The pattern repeated itself a few more times. Keith would appear a few nights and then stay cooped up in his nest of blankets and pillows when it stormed outside. After the fourth time though, Siran didn’t just stare at him. The creature moved closer, closer than ever before and-

 

“Are you scared of the rain?” Keith blinked at it, unable to process the question which the creature seemed to pick up on as it added, “Water, are you scared- err afraid? of it? Do you fear it? Or,” A contemplative click of the tongue before the siren perked up, sharp teeth bared to the world. “Does this bother you?” And just as the last human words left Siran’s tongue the creature squirmed closer yet and thrust its hands forward to make a wave and-

 

Keith stumbled back, a gurgling hiss escaping a too human throat and he could feel his scales flashing through too soft flesh and-

 

The creature let out this noise, something soft and sweet that fell into a rhythm and its eyes crinkled as bright blue fluttered around its face and its shoulders shook. “That’s just, amazing. Wow, are you really still scared of water? Oh my god, the stupid lizard is still scared of _water._ ” The human tongue was interrupted by soft hiccuping. Keith scowled, taking a few more bumbling steps away from the water and the bubbling siren and the freezing water.

 

The siren kept releasing the soft noise that’d hiccup into a louder hum before going back to the original soft tones and Keith was done. Didn’t want to hear anymore of the soft noise that made him think of warm and home and happy when really, he didn’t know what it was even supposed to mean. Didn’t know how to ask so-

 

He bolted.

 

Faintly, he heard the noise come to a screeching halt and a sharp voice echoing after his departing form, “Wha- where are you going? Hey? Keith?! Keith!”

-

-

-

The next night Keith brought one of the picture books he bought from one of the humans with him. Something with beautiful pictures of castles and dragons and men in metal and humans with long, cascading hair. He sat, perched on a rotting long not too far from the ever reaching seas and scanned each page over and over, eyes tracing over foreign words.

 

Siran sat a ways, head cocked to the side before deciding to slither closer. Not as close as the day before with the soft noise, but close enough where if Keith tilted the book he could probably make out some of the shapes and colors. Not the words, but maybe get an idea on the pictures? At least, Keith thought Siran would be able to see it but he could have been wrong.

 

“You read?” It was this inquisitive little hum, but something Keith knew how to answer. Something he didn’t have to think about and he could feel his insides flutter because _finally_. No guessing, he didn’t have to guess at al; because he knew those words.

 

“No.”

 

“What? Then why do you have a book? Are you trying to read? Is the little lizard trying to go past his limitations and actually try something out of the norm?” Siran was smiling, not giving off anything but these small curious vibes and Keith was back to square one of not knowing what to do, what to say, what the creature even meant.

 

He scowled, eyes flickering back to stare at the book with the black letters that taunted him and the elegant scribbles making up a thin crimson drake with wide wings. A little thought, and he moved the book s that it was facing the waters and then he pointed to the dragon and said, “Lizard. Shakgaron. Lost.”

 

It was him offering something, nothing that Siran could help with because he’s accepted to never finding the older dragon- but it was offering something. Of maybe talking and sharing and the older dragon has always been his go to. The whole reason he went to the human villages was because of the older dragon, so it would make sense that the beginning of apologizing would start with the older dragon too.

 

The siren stared at him, nose scrunched up before it offered a timid chirp of, “I’m pretty sure that book is about knights slaying dragons but if you want to view it as them looking for a lost dragon then I guess? Whatever makes you feel better?”And Keith feels that small bloom of satisfaction again and he goes back to the book, skimming through pages before finding a picture of the elegant dragon intertwined with a towering castle.

 

He tilts it back to the ocean, soft human finger tracing the curve of the dragon as he mentions, “Home. Not awhile, left to….” Eyebrows pinch as the word escapes him so he scrambles to another page before pointing to the picture of the human village with the man in armor and he thumps the man with his finger a few times before adding on, “I look Shakgaron. No find.” 

 

Siran gives a hum, doesn’t offer any other human words but Keith takes that as permission to continue. He flips back a few pages, stopping at the one where the crimson drake has its wings spread wide and maw wide open, the small man in armor is underneath it but Keith ignores it and mainly tries to emphasis the spread wings and throws out, “Big shea. Left big shea?”

 

He looks up at the Siran, a small part of him wondering if the siren will mention that yeah, it totally saw some giant dragon flying over the ocean many years ago. A stupid hope, but one he thinks he will always have, just as he always has the hope that one of the human villagers will mention that they randomly saw a dragon the other day. Instead all he gets is slow blinking eyes and an even slower nod.

 

“Okay. Great story. 10 out of 10, best thing ever. However, your english still sucks and I think I just lost a few brain cells listening to that so if you will excuse me, I am going to go, enjoy the ocean. Or something.” Just like that, the siren ducks underwater and Keith is left sitting on the rotting log listening to the waves as they crash on sandy shores.

 

He stays up far into the night, flipping through pages and his finger traces the elegant lines of a crimson dragon. A part of him disappointed, though for the lack of talking of the siren and the pretty much instant abandonment or the lack of mention of some dragon flying over the sea- well Keith didn’t know which was the reason.

 

He blamed the latter.

-

-

-

Keith tries something new, not something horribly new like going into the ocean or bringing a book he couldn’t even read. But new as in stepping onto that old rocket dock that darted off further into the ocean that Keith was comfortable with. A risk, but one he’d be willing to take. Maybe.

 

He didn’t go too far away from the comforts of shore, just an obvious length away where even Siran could guess he was _trying_. Trying what, Keith wasn’t sure. Maybe another move towards letting loose the words that boil at the tip of his tongue? He didn’t know.

 

Siran seems ecstatic with the change of place, swimming around the dock in circles, sometimes poking up out of the water to latch onto the rotting wood of the dock and pull itself just that much more out of the water as a stream of babble escapes.

 

Keith decides that was a good move, and after a few more nights of branching off of the dock, he’s able to laze at the very end. And sure, maybe his body is all tense and he’s ready to jump away at the slightest move but-

 

Siran seems to be more comfortable.

 

They talk, more than ever before and the siren corrects Keith every now and then and-

 

It becomes comfortable. Sure, when it rains Keith is no where to be found but when it is dry out? The dragon sits perched at the very end of the dock watching as Siran swirls around and he tries out new human words which the siren will correct and then laugh at with that sweet, soft noise from before.

 

It’s horribly nice, Keith wouldn’t have it any other way.


End file.
